Reunion
by SilverWolfFire
Summary: It's been seven months since Saya Minatsuki, Train Heartnet's best friend, was killed by Creed Diskenth. When they meet up again, Train doesn't believe that this is his friend. He comes to realize that this really is Saya and that he has feelings for her.
1. The Newspaper Article

**Author's Note: This is my first fanfic. Rate and Review! I would love to hear from the people who are reading this. (However, I do own Hayden Desna since I made her up.) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Black Cat. **

--

Train Heartnet, also known as the legendary Chronos assassin Black Cat, was dreaming about his recently deceased best friend, Saya Minatsuki. Ever since he had seen Saya on the rooftop on that seemingly fateful night, he had thought of her as his friend. After all, she _was _his first friend.

"Saya!" Train muttered in his sleep.

"Train?" It was Sven Vollfied, Train's partner. Sven and Train had been partners ever since Train had become a sweeper, which had been seven months ago. Sven kept shaking Train until Train's yellow-gold eyes opened slightly.

"What is it, Sven?" He mumbled.

"You were talking in your sleep."

"I was?"

"Yes, you were." At that remark, Train groaned and fell back asleep again. The last thought that crossed his mind was that Saya, wherever she was, was still alive.

--

_"Train, please forget about me."_

_"Forget about you? What do you mean?"_

_"Stop living in the past, Train. Live in the present. Live as a sweeper."_

_"Can I think about you or would you count that as living in the past?"_

_"You can think about me all you want, Train," Saya laughed. "Why would I count that as living in the past?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"I wouldn't count that as living in the past."_

--

Train was happy at the sound of hearing Saya's voice in his dream. The left side of his mind screamed at him, "You idiot! Stop thinking about Saya! She's dead and she's not coming back!" The right side of his brain said, "Saya's still out there. I just have to find her."

_I just have to find her. _Those words echoed in Train's head for the rest of the night. He didn't know why, but those words seemed to hold some importance.

Train woke up a few hours later. He went downstairs to find that Sven had fixed breakfast and that Rinslet had went to another town. "She never stays with us for long," he muttered as he picked up a piece of toast with his fork and began to eat it. He glanced at the newspaper that Sven was reading before seeing the title, 'Murdered Girl Brought Back from the Dead.'

"Let me see that!" Train just about tore the newspaper from Sven's hands and read it slowly.

"Hey!" Sven said angrily. "You made me lose my page!"

"Listen to this," Train said. He began reading the article aloud. "It says that a girl that was killed by Creed Diskenth six months ago is now alive."

_Is that you, Saya? Please let it be you. I can't stop thinking about you, and I want to see you again_, he thought. After nearly throwing down his breakfast, he showered and dressed in less than thirty minutes.

"I'm going to see who that girl is," he said.

"Train, wait. Was that Saya girl your girlfriend or something?" Sven asked.

"No. We were friends."

"Is she the girl that's in the article?"

"I don't know."

"Can I come with you?" Eve asked. She put down her book, which Train noticed was about ghost hunting, momentarily.

"Why are you reading about ghost hunting, Princess?" he asked.

"If that girl is a ghost, we can search for her."

"I don't think that she's a ghost."

Eve picked up the newspaper that was lying on the table and studied the girl's picture for a few seconds before speaking. "She looks like a ghost to me."

"Well, like I said before, she's probably not a ghost," Train said, slightly offended that Eve called the girl a ghost.

"I'm bringing the book along anyway," Eve said.

"Do you know where this girl is?" Sven asked. "What if she's a fugitive?"

"She's probably not a fugitive." The answer automatically came out of Train's mouth.

"Relax, Train. I was only wondering," Sven said calmly.

_That doesn't sound like wondering to me, _Train thought irritably.

"It says that she comes out at night," Eve said. "She sings a song on a rooftop and then sits there, as if waiting she's for something."

_She might be waiting for someone, _Train thought. "Let's wait, then," he said as he made his way toward his seat. "We'll go out and search for her at night."

"That sounds good to me. Let's go catch a person who's on the bounty list while we're waiting," Sven said.

"Okay. Who are we going after?"

"She's called Hayden Desna. She's rumored to be on the loose somewhere in Desburg."

The streets of Desburg were crowded with people, so it was hard to find Hayden.

"What does she look like?" Train asked as they rounded the corner.

"She has long and curly blonde hair, deep purple eyes, and she's about twenty-ish or so. She's 5'3'' and she's skilled in using knives as weapons. She also kills criminals illegally. She claims that she wants to make the world a better place. It's a load of crap to me."

"A knife fight is just what we need," Train said sarcastically.

"I smell blood in the air," Eve said.

"Where is it coming from, Princess?" Train asked.

"Follow me," Eve said as she took off running. Train and Sven followed, not knowing where they were going and what they were doing. They just had to hope that Eve was leading them toward Hayden Desna.


	2. Hayden Desna

Hayden Desna was running from the sweepers that were pursuing her. She enjoyed the thrill of being chased. She always knew how to evade being captured. Her recent kill lay there. She didn't know why she killed innocent people, but she suspected it was because killing increased the chance of people chasing her. Her claim to make the world a better place was to make people believe that she was doing something good even though she wasn't. She also knew that if she slowly killed more people, her bounty would be raised and then more sweepers would chase after her.

Train, Sven, and Eve were hot on her trail. Well, she wasn't going to be captured, not after successfully evading many a sweeper who was after her bounty.

"I smell blood in the air," Eve said. Train's eyes saw a message written on the wall. It was written in blood.

"It's the coordinates to her location," Train said after a few seconds of studying the message. "That means that she's in the café. But why would she be there?"

"That's probably because she's killing again," Sven said.

"But she just killed someone!" Train said.

"She won't stop killing until someone catches her," Eve said. "Once a person is a killer, they're always a killer."

"That's not true in my case," Train said. "Anyways, let's get her!" He charged off in the direction that the café was in.

"Wait for us!" Sven said as he took off after Train with Eve at his side. "Don't worry, Sven," she said. "We'll be there before you know it." Sven hoped that Eve was right.

Train busted into the café the second he got there. There was a small scream from inside the bathroom. Tanya, the waitress that was serving a plate of fried bread crusts to a table near Train, also heard the scream.

"You'd better go in there and beat the crap out of whoever's in there," she told him as he walked toward the ladies' bathroom. "A waitress like me can't do much to protect anyone."

Train entered the bathroom door and noticed that the person was lying on the floor, bleeding heavily. Train bent over the victim and said, "Can you tell me where she is?"

"I… I don't know. I didn't do anything wrong."

"So she kills innocent people?"

"Yes."

"Where is she now?"

"She's at the… hotel." The victim then went cold.

Sorrow pulled at Train's heart, but he could mourn the dead later. He had to find Hayden and put an end to her crimes. He noticed that the window was broken and jumped out of it. While jumping out he cut his hand on the glass. "Damn!" he muttered as he fell to the sidewalk and clutched his bleeding hand. That was when he saw Sven and Eve standing there, looking at him like he was nuts.

"What are you guys doing here?!" he asked incredulously. He couldn't believe that they had not bothered to search the café.

"Did she kill again?" Sven asked, avoiding the topic.

"Yes. Now let's find her before she kills another innocent person!"

"I thought that she killed criminals," Sven said.

"No. She kills innocent people."

"Train, you're bleeding," Eve said.

"I know," Train said. "I jumped out of the broken window in the ladies' bathroom. It wasn't fun at all. Ow," he muttered as his injured hand stung. He sped ahead while Eve and Sven took their time in getting to the hotel. He found Hayden in the midst of dangling a guy out of a window while threatening his roommate that she would drop him to the sidewalk.

Train went inside and persuaded Hayden to leave the guy alone and to come outside.

"I smell blood on your hands," Eve said. This freaked Hayden out, so she took her knives and held them in her hands.

"Hayden Desna, you just brought knives to a gun fight," Train said as he took out his gun. He loaded it, cocked it, and then aimed it straight at Hayden's face.

"Black Cat, I know that you won't hurt women." Her voice was a purr. Train was immediately disgusted by that. He didn't want his targets purring at him. Then again, if he pretended to be seduced, he could get close to her and capture her. Even though it definitely was not his method of catching a target, he decided to go with it. He put his gun away while Sven and Eve stared at him like he was crazy.

"That's right," he said while he took a step closer. "However, a woman such as you shouldn't be wandering around with knives as weapons. Someone could easily snap them. With me by your side, you wouldn't have to worry about being hurt." He was now a body length away from her.

"Thank you, but I can't do that."

"Why couldn't you do it? It would work out for the both of us. Besides, we'd get to know each other better. What do you say to that?" She moved closer and put a hand on Train's cheek.

_This is it!_ He thought to himself as he took out the handcuffs and prepared to hook them around her wrists. She pulled him closer and he took the opportunity. He quickly moved around behind her while moving her hands backwards and chained her hands together.

"How does this feel?" Train asked as he adjusted the handcuffs to fit around Hayden's wrists.

"It doesn't feel too good, that's for sure," Hayden responded. She wouldn't let these sweepers take her down, not after running away from so many other sweepers that wanted to catch her. She skillfully maneuvered her wrists and freed herself from the handcuffs.

"So that's how you want to fight, huh?" Train asked as he tossed the handcuffs to Sven and prepared to fight Hayden.

"Yeah," she said. "I want to see how good you really are with that gun of yours."

"You've got it," Train said as he lashed out with his foot. Hayden quickly dove in to punch him, but he dodged it and kicked her in the stomach. She didn't give up, though. She went to jab him with one of her knives and nicked Train's right arm.

"Ack!" Train said after she nicked him with her knife.

"I'll make that wound bigger!" She lunged at him and he leaped out of the way just in time. "Black Cat, why do you keep on dodging my attacks?! They were supposed to render you incompetent!" Hayden said out frustration.

"You wanted to see me with my gun, right?" Train asked as he ducked and punched Hayden after rising from his crouched position.

"Yes, but I thought that you would use it right away!"

"I use bullets for more worthy opponents," Train said as he punched Hayden's face again. He then tackled her and leaned on his right leg while his left leg was stretched out behind him. He then used the handcuffs that Sven brought over to him to cuff Hayden's hands together.

Once she was turned in to the police station, Sven returned with the 1.8 million bounty and said to Train, "Well, what do you plan on doing next?"

"I'd like to take a detailed tour of this place," he said. "You two can do whatever you want to do."

"I'll go take a nap," Sven said.

"I'll come, too," Eve said as she followed Sven.

"Take care and try not to get into any trouble," Sven said as he walked away from Train while holding Eve's hand.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of myself and not get into any trouble," Train said. He wandered the streets for what seemed like hours while making a mental map of the whole town. _I hope that I'll be able to find the way back to the place that we're staying at,_ he thought as he sat on a bench to look at where he was. His cell phone started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it had Sven's phone number on the caller I.D.

"Sven, is something wrong?" Train asked.

"No. I was just wondering if you were going to come back or stay out for that girl."

"I want to stay out." A question hit him. He wanted it to be the perfect night for him to find the girl that had been dead six months ago. "Is it supposed to storm tonight?"

"Yes, it is. Why?"

"I was just wondering. In that case, I'll come back."

"Try not to take too long. I don't need you getting sick because you were taking your sweet time getting back here."

"I'll run as fast as my legs can go," he said as he started walking toward the place that they were staying at.

"Good," Sven said. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

"I'll see you then," Train said before hanging up. He walked as slow as he could until the rain started falling from the sky. He then walked through the rain, letting it wash away his feelings. The rain stirred his memories. By the time that he had reached the hotel, he was drenched and slightly tired, but happy.

"Train, where have you been all this time?!" Sven demanded as soon as Train stepped into the door of the hotel room that they were staying in.

"I was just walking back," Train said as he towel-dried his hair and changed into his pajamas. He was in and out of the bathroom in ten minutes flat. As he floated in between the world of consciousness and the world of dreams, he thought that he heard a girl's song somewhere in the distance.

_Sing a song unto the world,_

_Rising high, the clouds unfurl._

_Fan the flames into the past._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_We'll never know the times of pain._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_My life won't be plain._


	3. Trying to find the Girl & Making Muffins

Train woke the next day with one thing on his mind—finding the girl. He left without eating breakfast and wandered the streets of Desburg until noon. He returned to the hotel room feeling somber and discouraged.

"What's with you?" Sven asked as Train sat down after getting bread, ham and salami.

"I didn't find her," Train said dully.

"Maybe we're in the wrong place," Eve said.

"I think that she's in Braccio City," Train said. "I could hardly hear her singing."

"Do we have to go back to that dump of a place?" Sven asked. He blinked before saying, "You said that you heard her singing."

"I did."

"Oh. Do you think that it was a dream?"

"No."

"You think that you heard her in real life?"

"Yeah."

"That's strange. I wasn't able to hear it."

"It was when I was half asleep."

"In that case, your mind might've created her voice."

"What?"

"What I mean is that you remembered her singing and then your mind used her song to lull you to sleep."

"Oh." Train was still depressed about not finding the girl.

"So, do we still have to go back to Braccio City?"

"You guys can stay here. I'll go on my own."

"Are you nuts? We're going with you."

"Suit yourselves."

"When are you going?" Eve asked.

"Tomorrow."

"I heard that there are more fugitives on the loose in Braccio City," Eve said. "I want to bring them down in our spare time."

"All right, then," Train said. "Let's do this."

-

After arriving at Braccio City the next day, Train took care of renting the apartment and unpacking while Eve and Sven found a place to eat.

"It took you a while," Sven said after directing Train over to their table.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"That's okay."

"Did you see the girl yet?"

"No. She comes out at night, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Good."

"Yeah. Let's go out and catch those criminals for the day."

They easily brought down the A-class fugitives and earned a lot of bounty money. It was finally night time. Train was on the rooftop of his apartment, surveying his surroundings while drinking a bottle of milk. _It's just like the old days,_ he thought. _The only thing missing is Saya._ Train waited until midnight before going to bed. Again, he heard the girl's song.

_Sing a song unto the world,_

_Rising high, the clouds unfurl._

_Fan the flames into the past._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_You'll never know the times of pain._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_My life won't be plain._

_Why does she keep on singing those same lines? Does she like them so much that she wants to bug the crap out of people by singing the same few lines over and over again? It's enough to drive me nuts! Then again, her voice is pretty._ He fell asleep soon after the girl's song had finished.

--

_"Saya!" Train screamed as his friend was murdered by Creed Diskenth. "You bastard. You killed Saya. I'll never forgive you for what you did to her!" he said, his voice sounding like he was on the verge of tears. "You're a dead man, Creed. This ends NOW!"_

_"Train, I have to tell you something," Creed said._

_"What is it?" Train was getting annoyed because of Creed's sudden delay._

_"The only way to break the witch's curse is to kill you, too." Creed stabbed Train and left him there on the ground. The fireworks went on, masking the sadness that was going on in an alleyway. Train hugged Saya close as he died._

--

Train woke up at 4:00 in the morning because of that nightmare. _I won't let that happen,_ he swore. He went to the refrigerator and got a bottle of milk out. After chugging it, he tossed it in the garbage and fell asleep in his bed again. The next dream that he had was peaceful, but his heart ached at the sight and sound of Saya.

--

_Saya laughed. "Isn't this outfit cute?"_

_"Not really," Train said dully._

_"You'd better shut your mouth. Do you realize how rude that was?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Then why did you say it?"_

_"It's my honest opinion."_

_"Do you have anything else to say?"_

_"Yes."_

_--_

The alarm clock rang, disturbing Train's peaceful dream. _Damn alarm clock! _He thought angrily as he stared up at the ceiling. He briefly considered throwing it out the window when he noticed that Sven and Eve weren't in the room. There was no note anywhere as far as Train could see. _I was going to say something in my dream, but then the stupid alarm clock cut me off. What was I going to say? _He took a shower, got dressed, and ate a chocolate chip muffin that Sven had left on the table. He saw a note next to the plate. It read:

_Train,_

_Eve and I went to the supermarket to pick up a few things. We'll be back shortly._

_-Sven_

_Thanks for the letter,_ he thought after reading it.

"You're finally up, huh?" Sven asked as he came in.

"Did you guys see her yet?" Train asked before he could stop himself.

"No," Sven said.

"You like her, don't you, Train?" Eve asked as she put the bag of groceries down on the table.

"What?" Train asked.

"The girl that we're trying to find," Eve said.

"No," Train said. He could feel himself blushing as he said it.

"You're blushing," Eve said. "That means that you like her."

"Blushing doesn't mean anything," Train said.

"Yes, it does," Eve said. She took Train's palms and felt them. "They're sweaty," she said. "Your heart is racing just thinking about her. I studied the signs of attraction." She held up the book that read _The signs of Attraction_.

"What made you read that?" Train asked, slightly nervous because of Eve's book that she was reading.

"I thought it looked interesting, so I took it out of the library."

"You took it out of the _library_?! What did the librarian have to say about that?"

"She didn't say anything. She just checked the books out."

"Don't you think that you're a little young to be reading about signs of attraction?" Train asked.

"No. It fascinates me," Eve said. "To know that people sweat when they like each other--like you're doing now, Train--is interesting."

"You think that that's _interesting_?!" Train was getting more and more concerned by the moment.

"Yes, I do," Eve said matter-of-factly. "The fact that people blush, sweat, and their pupils get bigger when they think about one another is quite interesting."

"Their pupils get bigger?!" Train said, shocked. "I didn't realize that people's pupils, well, _get bigger_ when they like one another."

"Eve, leave him," Sven said.

_I'll bug him another time,_ Eve thought as Train finished his muffin.

"Did you like your muffin?" Sven asked.

"Yeah. Did you make it?"

"Yes."

"Cool! You have to teach me how to make one."

_Since when did Train have an interest in cooking?!_ Sven thought, slightly taken aback by Train's desire to learn how to make a muffin.

Sven got out his pink apron, the cookbook and the materials that they would need to make the muffins.

_Do I_ have_ to wear Sven's pink apron?!_ Train thought, completely horrified by how he would look with a pink apron tied around his waist. After Sven and Eve said that he would look good in it, he reluctantly put it on. He proceeded to make some muffins with Sven and Eve.


	4. Sephiria Arrives

**A/N: Please Rate and Review! I would appreciate feedback from whoever is reading this. Please correct me on the lyrics to Saya's song if I'm wrong!**

-

Sephiria Arks, captain of the Chronos Numbers, knocked on the door to Train, Sven and Eve's apartment at exactly nine o'clock in the morning. She went over the reasons why she was there in her head. _I'm here to kill Train Heartnet because he is an enemy to Chronos, but before he dies, I will find out the reason why he deserted us in the first place._

Train answered the door.

"Sephiria, what are you doing here?!"

She didn't bother to answer Train's question and stepped inside the doorway and took a look around at Train's apartment. It had a few windows scattered around the rooms. There was a quaint breakfast nook which she thought was pretty interesting. The living room consisted of a couch, a loveseat, and a flat screen TV. The kitchen had a stainless steel refrigerator, oven, sink, and washer machine. Linoleum tiles littered the floor. Sephiria guessed that there were two bedrooms somewhere, but she couldn't see them because of where she was standing. Cheap-looking material made up the countertops. She noticed that there was a small island protruding from the countertops with a few wood chairs lined up alongside it. Sephiria was sad to know that Train wouldn't be able to sleep in his bed anymore after she was done here.

"Your time has come, Train Heartnet. Before you join the other souls in the netherworld, do you wish to tell me why you deserted Chronos?" She pulled out her sword, Christ, as she spoke.

"The reason why I deserted Chronos was because I met a sweeper," Train said, putting it simply. If he mentioned Creed killing Saya, he would get angry at Creed all over again.

"Go on," Sephiria pressed.

Train, who was not pleased with Sephiria's pressing, said, "If you want more details, here they are. The sweeper was a woman. We were only friends, nothing more, nothing less. She told me that I should use a pistol to protect and not to kill. In case you're wondering why I left Chronos, I left mostly on my own free will and partly because of a conversation we had."

"What was her name?"

"Saya."

"Saya…" her tone implied that Train should go on.

"Saya Minatsuki."

"We have a report that claims that she is dead. What was the cause of her death?"

"Creed Diskenth killed her." Train said the words quietly.

"I should've known that he would've gone and done something like that. In that case, Heartnet, I shall proceed to assassinate you. Do you have any last words before you join all the people that you've assassinated over the years that you've been a Number?"

At that moment, Sven and Eve came into the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Sven asked Sephiria.

"I was preparing to kill Train. Do you have anything to say to him before he leaves this world and goes to the netherworld?"

"Don't try to kill him. Let's talk this out."

"Sven, it's useless."

"Sephiria Arks, please sit down and put your sword away. Train, get over here right now. Sit and calm down."

Train sat and calmed down. Sephiria also sat, but she still held her sword in its sheath. Train waited for her to speak again.

"The reason that I came here was to find out why Train left Chronos. Now that I have found out the reason to why he left, I can now proceed with my plans to kill him." She rose to and unsheathed her sword again.

"Why do you want to kill him?" Eve asked.

"Because you either live inside Chronos or die outside of it. Once you leave Chronos, you can never come back."

"She tried to kill me before, but I fled because I gave Saya my gun because I was leaving Chronos," Train explained.

"So that's where your gun was," Sephiria muttered to herself.

_Oh, crap,_ Train thought. _I just told her why I didn't have Hades when we fought six months ago._

After a few seconds of uneasy silence, Train said, "If you want to kill me, Sephiria, go right ahead."

After contemplating whether or not to kill Train, Sephiria finally made up her mind. "I will let you live, Train Heartnet, former agent Number XIII. However, you are still an enemy of Chronos."

Train wasn't sure of how he should respond to that, so he just sat there and said nothing. His mind was whirling with questions, but only one kept repeating itself: _Why didn't she kill me?_

At Chronos Headquarters, Willzark was talking to Sephiria through his screen.

"Why haven't you killed Number XIII?" he asked.

"He is a sweeper now, Willzark. I would not feel right killing a sweeper. I still feel much animosity toward him leaving, but that was six months ago. I feel that it is time to put the past behind us and take steps toward the future."

"He is still an enemy, though," Willzark said.

"I know," Sephiria said.

Just then, Kin and Shin appeared on their screens.

"We heard that you have not succeeded in killing Heartnet, Number I," Kin said. "Do you have anything to say about this, Belze?"

"Yes," Belze said truthfully. "I know that I wouldn't feel right killing a sweeper, either. Besides, he served us well while he was a number. Now that he is a sweeper, we know that he will put his skills to use. I am personally hoping that he will do his job as a sweeper well."

Sephiria, Willzark, Shin and Kin stared at Belze in slight shock for a few long minutes. After the uncomfortable pause, Belze said, "Although Heartnet is still an enemy, we must continue to keep track of where he has been and what he has done. We cannot afford to lose track of him."

Shin turned to Sephiria and said, "Have you been successful in keeping track of him?"

"Yes," Sephiria said. "He is trying to find a girl that has supposedly been brought back from the dead. I believe that the girl is Saya Minatsuki. She was his friend before Creed killed her."

"Creed Diskenth killed her?" Willzark asked incredulously.

"Yes, he did," Sephiria said. "I regret to inform you of that, but it is true."

"Why did he kill her?" Belze asked.

"She was Heartnet's first true friend," Sephiria explained. "Creed was obviously jealous of the relationship that Train and Saya had, so he killed her to end the so-called spell that she cast on Train."

"Spell?" Kin asked. "Was she a witch?"

"She was a sweeper. She introduced the idea that pistols should be used for protecting, not killing, to Train. Creed called her a witch because he thought that she was putting a spell on Train. However, it turns out that Creed was obsessed with the murderer that Train was, not the real Train. So he went and killed Saya Minatsuki."

"I am not pleased with this Saya Minatsuki," Shin said angrily. "She caused Number XIII to leave Chronos."

"That is not a very good reason to dislike her," Kin said calmly. "She let Number XIII see the world in a different way."

After a few seconds of pondering, Willzark finally said, "This Saya woman unlocked the true Number XIII and changed his life for the better. I agree with Kin. Sephiria, do you have a picture of her?"

"I am afraid that I do not have an image of her, Willzark," Sephiria said.

"Then send someone to take a snapshot," Willzark said simply.

"We don't know if she's alive yet, though," Belze said. "Once Number XIII finds her, then we can send someone in."

"Agreed," Willzark said. "In the meantime, let us watch Number XIII closely and make sure that he finds this Saya woman."

--

_Saya was singing her usual song on the rooftop. Train watched from afar, his ears listening to the sound of her beautiful voice._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_Here, now, we live at last._

_She sang a few more lines._

_My life is not in vain._

_Saya turned around to see Train standing there, listening to her sing._

_"Saya!"_

_"Train, is that you?"_

_"Saya, it's me! It's me, Train!"_

_"Train!"_

_Train and Saya embraced each other for a full minute, enjoying each other's warmth and hearing their hearts beat as one._

_"Train, I missed you," Saya said quietly into Train's ear._

_"I missed you, too," Train whispered to Saya._

_"Did you like my song?" she asked._

_"Yes. I never get tired of hearing it. I think it's beautiful, just like you."_

--

Train went onto the rooftop and lay there, pondering about his dream. He had the feeling that something special was going to happen tonight. The buildings that were around him gave him mixed feelings as memories of six months ago were evoked. As he looked around at all the familiar houses, apartment complexes, churches, streets, parking lots, and other things that were in Braccio City, he felt a sense of belonging. He lay down and observed that there was a ceremony going on at the church. _It's a wedding,_ he realized. Weddings weren't important to Train, but he momentarily saw him and Saya getting married. He went inside after a few minutes of sunbathing and saw that Sven had made breakfast. His plate was piled with toast, bacon, and eggs._ Does Sven think that I'm going to eat all of this?_ Train thought.

That was when Rinslet Walker decided to knock on the door.

_Jeez! Can't I eat in peace?_ Train thought.

"Hi, Rins," he said casually.

"Hey, Train. Long time, no see. I heard that Chronos visited you guys this morning. How'd it go?"

"Okay, I guess," Train said before he started eating.

Rinslet asked, "What did they want you for?"

"First off, only Sephiria visited. Second, she wanted me dead."

"What?! Why did she want you dead?"

"She just wanted to find out why I left Chronos, that's all. Then she was like, 'Are you ready to visit the souls that you assassinated over the years as a Number?' It was creepy. I haven't seen her like that since six months ago."

"I guess that she still considers you a traitor," Rinslet sighed.

"Yeah. They still consider me a threat."

"Oh."

"The Elders keep giving me one last chance to rejoin them. They say that my skills are too great to become a 'lowly' sweeper."

"Then why don't you just go back, tell them that you're a sweeper and that you're done with them now?"

"That's a good plan, but I don't really want to do that right now. It doesn't seem like the right time."

"And will there ever be a 'right time'?"

"Relax, Rins. I'll tell them when I think I should tell them."

"I also heard that there was this girl that was brought back from the dead."

"We're trying to search for her."

"You guys are trying to find her?"

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we?"

"For all you know, she could be dangerous!"

"Rins, she's not dangerous."

"How do you know that she's not dangerous?"

"I just know."

"That's a crappy excuse!"

"Hi, Rinslet. What are you two fighting about?"

"Rinslet thinks that the girl that we're trying to find is dangerous," Train said.

"If she was dangerous, the newspaper would've told us that," Eve said.

Rinslet stopped arguing because she knew that she couldn't win the argument.

"So, besides for finding the girl, what else are you guys planning on doing?" she asked Sven. Train had finished eating.

"We're still going to catch criminals," Sven said.

"There's probably no reason for me to hang around here anymore, so I'm going. Tell me if you find the girl."

"You're leaving already?" Train asked. "You just got here five minutes ago!"

"I'm going to get some necklaces or something. Again, tell me if you find that mysterious ghost."

"She's not a ghost!" Train said before Rinslet shut the door.

"You really like that girl, don't you, Train?" Sven asked. "You know, the one we're searching for."

"It's not like that, okay?" Train blushed as he quickly turned his head away from Sven and Eve.

"You're blushing again, Train," Eve said. Train just groaned. The day seemed to pass by slowly. Train mulled over the dream that he had had and decided not to bug Sven into getting him more food when he had finished eating his dinner. When night finally fell, he sat on the rooftop while moongazing. His cat friend pawed the dish that it was drinking out until Train finally poured some more milk into the dish. The cat finished that within a few minutes. It ran away after meowing. Train suddenly heard singing from the rooftop next to him.

_Sing a song unto the world,_

_Rising high, the clouds unfurl._

_Fan the flames into the past._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_You'll never know the times of pain._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_My life won't be plain._

_Here, now, we live at last._

She sang a few more lines.

_My life is not in vain._

Train looked at the girl who was on the rooftop next to him. She looked back at him. Train knew who it was the second their eyes met.


	5. Reunion

Saya leapt onto Train's roof, stole his milk, drank it in a few big sips, and placed it on the ground beside him. "Thanks for that." She smiled. "It's been a while." She hugged Train before continuing. "Train, I missed you so much. I've been worrying about you ever since I died. I was constantly thinking about you." She studied his outfit. "You look normal now. When I saw you six months ago, you looked downright diabolical."

Train blinked a few times before saying, "I did?"

"Yes, you did."

Train said nothing.

"You look like you have something more to say."

"It's kind of… well…" he sighed. "All right, I'll say it. I've been dreaming about you for the past six months. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I saw these yukatas in a shop and I remembered how much you used to wear them. Speaking of yukatas, you're wearing one now."

"Yukatas? I thought that they were kimonos."

"Yukatas, kimonos, whatever they are. What design is that?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it sure is pretty."

"They're… uh… hearts," Train said after examining the pattern on Saya's sleeve for a few seconds.

"They're hearts? Cool!"

Train smiled and suddenly had an overwhelming urge to hug Saya, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist it. He pulled Saya into a tight hug. Saya hugged him back. Then they broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. Train stared into Saya's brilliant blue eyes and Saya stared into Train's golden ones.

"Train, what are you doing up here?" Sven asked.

"Sven, how'd you find me?" Train asked, clearly surprised that Sven found him.

"Who are you?" Saya asked.

"I'm Sven," Sven said.

"Hi, Sven. I'm Saya. Pleased to meet you," Saya said.

"Come inside whenever you're ready," Sven said. "Just don't stay out here too long, or the crows will probably peck your heads." Sure enough, a crow was preening itself on the chimney. Stupid crow, Train thought.

After Sven left, Train said to Saya, "It's been six months since I've seen you. I want to know what's been going on with you."

"There isn't much to talk about on my side of the story," Saya said. She seemed to have more to say, but Train didn't want to push her to say it. If she didn't want to say anything else, she didn't have to.

"Well, as you can see, I've become a sweeper. My partner is Sven, who you saw earlier. Then there's Eve, who I call 'princess.' She is a bioweapon made by Torneo Rudman, an influential dealer in the underground weapons market. She was designed to be the ultimate soldier by using nanomachines in her body into weapons and other things."

"What are nanomachines?" Saya asked.

"Nanomachines are micro-robots engineered to be smaller than one billionth of a meter. Used correctly, they can manipulate DNA structure to cure serious illnesses. Molecules can be arranged to create new matter. The possibilities are endless."

"What can Eve do with them?" Saya asked.

"She can manipulate her fingers to turn them into weapons, turn her hair into fists, turn her arms into a shield, turn her skin to steel, and many other things."

"Wow. That sounds pretty cool."

"Yeah, it does."

Saya yawned. "I'm beat. Can I stay over at your place tonight?"

"Sure," Train said. It was nice to have his friend back. He stared after Saya as she made her way to their apartment room. Train couldn't help but feel entranced by her beauty. He opened the door to his apartment and saw that Saya was talking to Eve, who was reading a book called _The Bonds of Friendship_.

_How appropriate_, Train thought. After Saya, Eve and Sven went to bed, he stole a quick peek at the book. One chapter was on how guys could be themselves around his girl friend. _I need to read that, _he thought. He flipped to page 125 and read the whole chapter within an hour.

--

In the morning, Eve found the book lying on the table. _Someone was reading this, _she thought as she looked around the room. Sven was lying in the other bed. She saw Train's bedroom door was closed.

Saya suddenly realized that she was facing Train and their noses were a few inches apart. She shot up in alarm.

"Train, wake up!" She said, shaking Train's shoulder slightly.

"What is it?" Train asked. He quickly put two and two together and said, "I was cold, so I decided to warm up by sleeping next to you."

"What's up with you two?" Sven asked. He saw that Train and Saya were close together and said, "Train, why were you sleeping next to Saya?" Sven was standing over Train and Saya's bed in the other bedroom.

"I was cold and decided that I would warm up by sleeping next to Saya," Train said.

"Oh," Sven said, although he didn't believe it.

"Who's up for doughnuts?" Rinslet asked as she walked in through the door of their apartment. She froze when she saw Saya, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Train sat up and asked, "Rins, is something wrong?"

"So you're the girl that was brought back to life," she said as she studied Saya. "Tell me how that happened." They were sitting at the breakfast nook.

"Well," Saya said as she took a doughnut, "When I was in Train's arms at the firework festival, I was dying."

"Go on," Sven said while Train was tucking huge strands of hair behind his ears.

_Warning sign number one that he likes her, _Eve thought. _He's putting his hair behind his ears to tell her that he's listening intently._

"Anyways, after I died, my spirit came to me and told me to get myself together. It told me that I had people to see and criminals to catch, so I'd better wake up soon. So I woke up. I realized that Train was gone. I heard gunshots and stuff, and then I saw the rest of the firework show. By the way, Train, you still owe me that ramune!"

"Yeah, I still do," Train said. "Sorry about that. I'll get you some tomorrow."

"Thanks! You have to try some, too."

"What flavors are there?"

"Well, there's lemonade, pineapple, kiwifruit, peach, curry, bubble gum, wasabi, melon, strawberry, orange, lychee, and Blue Hawaii."

"Blue Hawaii for me," Train said happily.

"Lychee? Eww. I wouldn't mind trying strawberry," Rinslet said.

"Orange sounds good to me," Sven said.

"I want to try pineapple," Eve said.

"All right, then," Train said.

An hour later, Train was searching the streets for a shop so that way he could buy the ramune bottles. After he found one, he made a mental note of its location. Later that night, Train bought the ramune bottles for him, Sven, Rinslet, Eve, and Saya. He placed the ones for Sven and Eve on the table and put Rinslet's in the fridge in case she wasn't there. He got the ones for Saya and him, and then went to the wharf to watch the sky with Saya.


	6. The Truth about the Black Cat of Chronos

Train was waiting on the rooftop anxiously with the ramune bottles beside him. He had been acting casually ever since Saya had come back, and he was glad that he could act so casually without putting too much effort into it. He was feeling many emotions that he never knew existed all at once. His heart was racing excitedly with the thought that Saya was alive. He felt invincible and happy at the same time. He wondered how long it would be before Sven, Rinslet or Eve would catch on. The Eden project had been destroyed and he had returned from traveling the world. He was glad that the world was now at peace.

Even when he was traveling the world, he would still dream of Saya. Now that he was resuming his job as a sweeper, it felt good to be with Rinslet, Eve, and Sven again. He had passed Saya once when he was walking on the sidewalk while he was traveling, but he had never seen her again after that-until now, that was. He had wondered if he was just seeing things or if she truly was alive. He remembered her saying something about forgetting the past and moving on with his life. He also remembered the dream that he had had six or seven days ago.

_Six or seven months ago, she was waiting for me,_ he thought. _Now I'm waiting for her. What's taking her so long?_ Something told him that Creed was after her again, but Creed was now living on the countryside with Echidna now. Creed couldn't possibly travel from the countryside just to get to Saya.

Saya finally appeared beside Train. "Sorry about that," she panted. "I can't run as fast as you can. What flavor are those ramune bottles?"

"I have Blue Hawaii and the one that you asked for. Wait, you didn't mention what flavor you wanted."

"I didn't?! How could I be so dumb?! What flavor did you get me?"

"I got you peach."

"Cool! Thanks. I'm such a dope for not telling you what flavor I wanted."

"You're not a dope. Sit beside me." When she continued to stand a few footsteps away from him, he asked, "What? I don't bite."

"You really have changed for the better," Saya said, thinking aloud. "When I first met you, you were all silent and stuff. You didn't say too much. Now that you're a sweeper, your true personality is showing. I like the sweeper you. Stay that way."

Train looked at her and smiled. "I don't plan on going back to my old job, so you don't have to worry about that," he said.

"That's a handsome smile," Saya said before she could stop herself.

"Thanks." Train blushed deeply as he spoke.

"You're welcome," Saya said before taking her ramune bottle and drinking it. Train watched her drink, mesmerized by her beauty in the moonlight. After she finished taking her sip, Train said, "We haven't talked too much since you came back. I want to know everything that happened after you came back until now."

"You've got it," Saya said. "Well, you heard about my spirit telling me all those things. It also told me that I… I had to find you and tell you that I was okay, but when I got to the place where the tanker exploded, I couldn't find you anywhere. I tried searching for you and calling you, but I couldn't find you and you wouldn't answer your phone. So I just traveled around, catching criminals and hoping that I would find you somewhere. I was also dreaming about you a lot. I noticed that I kept on thinking of you. I caught myself thinking, 'What would Train do in this situation?' more than once. I was also wondering if you still had your gun. Show it to me."

Train pulled out Hades and showed it to Saya. "It's right here," he said. "I won't ever let go of it again."

"Good," Saya said. "Hades knows you and you know Hades. I know my Beretta and it knows me. Say, what did you do with that gun of yours when we first met?"

"I… I took people's lives with it. I belonged to Chronos, an organization that secretly controls one-third of the world's economy. Chronos had two divisions- normal assassins and the Numbers, which are the top people of Chronos. I used to be Number XIII, but I quit after you died. That's why I became a sweeper- because of you. If I hadn't met you, I probably would still be an assassin. Maybe I would've quit in my own time, but your death caused me to leave early." He paused to gaze into Saya's eyes before saying, "If I scared you, I apologize. It's why I was walking around with a gun like this. I won't ever take another life with it."

"That's all right," Saya said. "I can deal with it. You've got an interesting life there, Train. You went around killing people for how many years?"

"Well, I started since I was thirteen and was taken in as a Number at age eighteen," Train said.

"So you've been killing people all your life, then," Saya said.

"Almost my whole life," Train said. "I wasn't killing people for the first thirteen years of my life."

"Oh," she said. She drank some more of her ramune.

"Did that kill your night?" Train asked.

"No," Saya said. "If anything, it helped me understand you better. It gave me a glimpse of your past." Train stared out into the distance for a few seconds before Saya asked him, "Aren't you going to drink your ramune?"

"Yeah," Train said as he unscrewed the cap. He took a few big sips of it before putting it down.

"So, how does it taste?" Saya asked.

"It's good," Train said. "It's better than I thought it would be, that's for sure." He blushed deeply as Saya sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder.

"You're warm," she muttered before sighing contentedly.

Train stopped blushing after a few minutes and realized that Saya had fallen asleep. The hours seemed to drag on as Train slowly grew more and more tired. He eventually lay on his side, adjusted Saya so that she faced him on her side, hugged her close, and then fell asleep.

-

The sunlight shone in Train's eyes, nearly blinding him as he woke up. He remembered last night's events. He had told Saya the truth about his days as a Chronos Number. He looked at Saya and saw that she was still sleeping peacefully. He watched her sleep until she woke up.

Saya blinked and stared into Train's eyes for a few minutes. Those beautiful yellow eyes pierced her blue ones with such softness that she hadn't known when they first met. _He really did change,_ she thought. She smiled just to see what he would do. Train blushed quickly and smiled back.

_This is one heck of a way to spend a morning out on a rooftop,_ Train thought. He released Saya from his grasp in his arms, stood up, and stretched. "What?" he asked when he caught Saya staring at him. "Don't look at me like that!"

Saya just smiled and laughed. A content feeling swept through her and stayed in her heart. She was always calm around Train and she didn't know why. "Do you know what time it is?" She asked before standing up and stretching.

"I don't have a watch with me," Train said. "It looks like it's ten in the morning, though."

-

Sven looked up as Train and Saya came in through the front door of their apartment.

"Hey, Train?"

Train blinked twice before saying anything. "Yeah?"

"Can we leave this apartment now? It smells like crap, there's some mold on the walls, the stove sucks at cooking anything," Sven jabbed an accusing finger at the stove while speaking, "I could hardly flush the toilet this morning, we don't have any good bounties in this town, and we hardly have enough money to live in this place!"

"All right, then. Let's blow this town."

"I heard that Hayden Desna was on the loose again," Eve said. "She has somehow escaped from prison."

"Not again!" Train said.

"It means more money for you guys, though," Saya said. "Maybe her bounty has increased since the last time you caught her."

"That was only a few days ago, though!" Train said.

"Well, why don't we go out and catch her?" Saya asked. "By the way, can I join you guys? Maybe I could help you get some more money and also help you out when you're capturing criminals."

"Sure," Train said before Sven or Eve could say anything.

"Okay," Sven said.

"I guess you're in," Eve said.

"Let's do this!" Train said enthusiastically as he walked out of the apartment. Saya was right next to him while Sven and Eve hung back.

"I wonder what Saya is capable of," Eve said. She wouldn't have to wait long to find out.


	7. The Return of Hayden Desna

_Thank God I broke out of that hellhole, _Hayden Desna thought as she casually walked along the streets of Braccio City. She had cut her hair to her chin and had straightened it. She also got colored contacts and had changed outfits. She didn't look like Hayden Desna anymore- she looked like someone else. Little did she know that Train, Sven, Eve, and Saya were on her trail once more.

-

"She can't be too far away from here," Train said while running with Saya. Sven and Eve were behind them.

"I hope that she's somewhere near here, because I'm getting tired," Sven said.

"We'll find her soon," Eve said. "I smell blood in the air again."

"That's always helpful," Saya said.

"It sure is," Train said while cherishing the feeling of having Saya run beside him. He hadn't ran alongside her in six or seven months, and it felt good to see her alive again. He couldn't help staring into her eyes.

That was when he crashed into a garbage can.

"Train, are you okay?" Saya asked, stopping momentarily to see if Train was okay.

"I'm fine. I didn't see it there. Go on. I'll catch up."

Saya sighed. "Okay. I'll see you when you get there." She took off again. Train watched her run, mesmerized by how she looked in the sunlight. He blinked and got up. He felt a sense of loneliness as Saya ran away. He ran to catch up to her. He knew that he would be one step behind them, but he could always jump in when he needed to. _I can't let her get hurt, _he thought to himself as he ran through the streets of Braccio City.

Jenos Hazard was there, happily chatting away with Hayden as if she was a random woman.

"Let us handle this, Jenos," Sven said.

"Go right ahead," Jenos said. "I'll be on the sidelines if you need any help."

Train was walked up to Jenos's side quietly and stood there, tense and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Saya took out her gun and aimed it at Hayden's head. She stood there for a minute before saying, "If you make any move, I'll shoot."

Hayden stepped forward. Saya aimed her gun up to the sky and fired. The bullet ricocheted off the walls of a few buildings before slamming into Hayden's left thigh. Hayden groaned in pain and went down on one knee. "What was that technique?" she asked. "I haven't seen it before."

"It's called the Reflect Shot," Train said while stepping forward from his place by Jenos's side and aiming his gun up to the sky. He fired his gun and his bullet dive bombed into Hayden's right arm. Train fired again and Hayden whipped out one of her knives. She managed to block the bullet, but Saya quickly dashed forward and hit Hayden with her gun on the side of her face. _Nice one, Saya! _Train thought as Saya proceeded to kick Hayden in the stomach and punch her in the face.

He couldn't stop smiling as Saya pounded Hayden with her feet and hands. Hayden got out one of her knives and proceeded to slash Saya's arm, but Saya ignored the pain and kept fighting. Train stepped in to help her by kicking Hayden's side. Sven whacked Hayden unconsious by hitting her across the side of the head with his attache case. Jenos left a few minutes later.

"You did really well back there," Train said.

"Thanks," Saya said while going slightly pink.

"Saya, are you okay?" Train asked as he looked at Saya in a concerned manner.

"I'm fine," she said. "I just spaced out, that's all."

"Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yes, Train. I'm okay."

After heading back to the apartment, Train gave Saya a bottle of milk. To her surprise, it tasted better than the bottle of milk than she had had that morning. It tasted better in ways that couldn't be described in words. _It probably has to deal with Train giving it to me, _she thought. She lay down on the couch. _I wonder where Train is, _she thought before going to sleep. She dreamed of Train.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the short chapter. I couldn't think of anything else to write. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!**


	8. Realizations

Saya woke up a few hours later and still remembered the taste of the milk that she had had the night before. It had tasted like freedom, caring, and friendship all at the same time. She had enjoyed every single sip of it and relished the taste of it. She went downstairs into the kitchen of their apartment and saw Train sitting there, sipping a bottle of milk nervously.

"Where are Eve and Sven?" she asked him.

"I don't know. They didn't leave a note. I tried calling Sven's cell phone, but he wouldn't pick up. I'm worried about them. I don't want them getting hurt."

"Do you think that we should go and find them?"

"No. Let's stay put and see if they show up in an hour or so. If they don't come back after that, we'll look for them."

"Sounds good to me," Saya said. She plopped down on the couch beside Train, who put down his bottle of milk, put his arm around her shoulders, and then pulled her in to his side. She snuggled in and sighed. _This is nice,_ she thought. They stayed like that until Sven and Eve came home.

"Where were you guys?" Train asked. "We were worried about you."

"Rinslet wanted to show us something," Sven said.

"Like what?" Train asked.

"Like this," Sven said while tossing a huge file to Train, who caught it. He opened the file and started to read the first page.

"It's a list of fugitives with extremely high bounties," Train said. "Who's Tom Nookshire?"

"He's a psychopath," Sven said. "It's best to go after him last. I want to put the psychopaths off until the last minute."

"Good idea," Train said. "I don't feel like dealing with a psychopath right now." He was strongly reminded of Creed. "Why did Rins compile this thing, anyway?"

"She said it was to help us with our debt," Sven said.

"You two are very close to one another," Eve said out of nowhere. "I am surprised that you are not blushing right now, Train. You seem to blush a lot around women."

"I blush around anybody, Princess," Train said while flipping the page to look at the next fugitive.

"Then how come you are not blushing around Saya?" she asked.

"Because we're friends and we know each other," Saya said before Train could say anything. Train went faintly pink and smiled.

"You're blushing again, Train," Eve said.

"Leave him alone, Eve."

"You blush, too, Princess. And so do you, Sven."

"Don't count me out, Train." When Train looked at her, she blushed deeply, averted her gaze, and angled her head towards the floor.

Train lifted her head so that he was staring into her eyes. "I was just about to include you," he said. "By the way, I saw you blush earlier today."

"Do you know what time it is?" Saya, who wanted to change the subject, asked Sven, who looked at his watch.

"It's one o'clock."

"What time did we capture Hayden Desna at?"

"I'd say that it was nine o'clock."

"Oh." she nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'm hungry," Train said. His words were echoed by his stomach growling.

"MISTER BLACK!!" Kyoko said while charging into the sweeper's apartment.

"How the hell did you find me?!" Train asked as he was smushed against the couch. He started to push Kyoko away when Saya interfered.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm Kyoko, and I'm here to kiss Mister Black!" Kyoko said happily. She moved forward while puckering her lips. Train stared blankly at her for a few seconds before raising his hand and slapping her on her head.

"What was that for?" Kyoko asked while rubbing the big pink bump on her head.

"Can't you see that I have friends here? Why are you always trying to kiss me?" he asked Kyoko.

"Because I love you!" Kyoko said while puckering her lips again.

Saya said, "Why don't you leave him alone?"

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Kyoko asked Saya.

This enraged Saya instantly. _How dare she say that I'm jealous! I'll give her a piece of my mind!_ "Jealous?! I'm not jealous! Train obviously doesn't want to be kissed and you're forcing him to kiss you! You're also, well, _obsessing_ over him! You probably follow him around at every chance you have just to see if you can kiss him. Am I right?"

Kyoko shot back, "I'm not obsessing over him. I love him and he's _my_ boyfriend. I'm a kiss fanatic, anyway. I love kissing- it's so romantic!"

"Oh, so he's _your_ boyfriend? Well, excuse me, but I knew him long before you even _met_ him, so what gives you the right to call him _your_ boyfriend?!"

"Settle down, you two," Sven said. Saya shot Kyoko a death glare, but Kyoko was too busy daydreaming about kissing Train to notice. After Kyoko left, Saya was seething.

"Man, Saya! I never saw you lose your cool like that around another girl," Train said. "That was awesome!"

"Thanks," Saya said dully.

"That was some fight you put up, Saya," Sven said. "You stood your ground. However, I have a feeling that Kyoko will show up again."

"I'm sorry about Kyoko," Train said. "I'll take you out for lunch to make up for it."

"Sounds good to me," Saya said, now in a slightly cheerful mood because she was going to spend some much-needed one-on-one time with Train.

"Are you taking her out on a date?" Eve asked, showing Train the book that she was reading. It was called _The Basics of Dating_. Train sweatdropped before laughing nervously and saying, "No, Princess, I'm not taking Saya out on a date. However, I am making up for what happened with Kyoko a few minutes ago."

"Where will we go?" Saya asked.

"Wherever you want to go," Train said. "I'll pay for it."

"Really?" Saya asked.

"Yup," Train said.

"In that case, can we go to the Braccio Café?"

"Sure thing! Hey, Sven, can you keep an eye on the Princess for me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks a million." Train and Saya left a few minutes later.

"For some reason, I think that they are more than just friends," Eve said.

"I do, too. It'll only be a matter of time before they realize it."

At the Braccio Café, Train was telling Saya about Eden and how it was defeated.

"I shot a bullet that destroyed the receptor cell," he said after taking a bite of his chicken marsala. "The Princess just barely got out alive."

"So you're the one that really ended Eden's reign," Saya said. "I heard that some guy shot it, but I never thought that it was you."

"I don't think anyone did," Train said.

"You finished your chicken marsala?! Dang, you're fast!"

"Heh." Train blushed slightly. "I can really pack it away."

"You sure can!" Saya laughed. "I haven't even finished mine yet."

"Take your time," Train said. He felt a strange feeling creep into his heart as he watched Saya eat.

"Train, are you okay? You look sad or something."

"I'm okay. I just spaced out, that's all."

"How's your kitty pal?" Saya asked.

"What? Oh, you mean that cat! Uh, I actually saw it once I came here a few days ago. I haven't seen it since then. I hope nothing happened to it..." His voice trailed off.

Saya looked at him and laughed.

"What?" Train asked, not sure why she had bursted out laughing.

"You're worried about that cat, huh? You never cease to amaze me, Train." She ate some more of her penne vodka.

"Really?"

"Yup."

After finishing her lunch, Train paid for the meals and then the two hit the shops in the town. Saya convinced Train to buy a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. Saya commented on how handsome he looked after he had changed into them. Train blushed and thanked Saya.

"So, where to now?" Saya asked Train.

"I don't know," Train said. "There are so many places to go."

That was when Anubis appeared.

"Anubis, why are you here?" Train asked the huge black wolf.

"Sephiria wants to see the two of you," he said. Saya pulled herself close to Train and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Why does she want to see us?" Train asked.

"She primarily wants to see Saya, and she wants to know what you, Number XIII, are currently up to." Train was worried about Saya- she looked nervous and scared at the same time. He shot a glance at her that said, 'It'll be okay. If anything happens, I'll protect you with everything I have.' She looked at him with trust in her eyes. _Those beautiful blue eyes…_ Train thought before turning to Anubis.

"We'll come," he said. They followed Anubis to Chronos Headquarters. There was Sephiria, standing in the middle of the floor in all her beauty. She turned to the screens that showed Willzark, Shin, and Kin, and then said, "They have arrived. Speak to Minatsuki kindly, as she does not know you." She turned around and gestured to Saya and Train to take their places.

"Ah, Number XIII," Willzark said. "The decline of Chronos had begun since you and Creed Diskenth left, but now Chronos is back to its former glory. Come back, Number XIII. We need you and your Hades. As for the girl, we can arrange her to become an assassin, too."

"Willzark, I am not coming back. Don't think that Saya will join up, either. We're sweepers now. Sweepers don't go back to being assassins once they've quit." Train's cell phone rang at that moment. He excused himself and went outside to answer it.

Saya was alone with the elders. Fear pounded through her as she stared at the tiles on the floor. After a few tense seconds, Willzark spoke first.

"Where is your weapon, Ms. Minatsuki?"

"It's right here," Saya said while cautiously taking out her Beretta 93R. She showed it to Willzark before she put it away.

"Ah. You would make a fine assassin with a weapon like that. You would become the next Number XIII. Would you like that?"

_Stay calm,_ Saya told herself. "No," she said. "I will stay a sweeper for as long as I live. Besides, I couldn't stand killing people, anyway."

"You would become powerful," Shin said. "You would reap the benefits of being an assassin. You would also gain a reputation."

"Willzark, Kin, and Shin, are you trying to make Saya become an assassin?" Train asked. Saya was relieved to be by his side. She knew that he would defend her.

"No, Number XIII," Shin said. "We'd never do that to a sweeper."

"I can see right through you, Shin," Train said. "You were trying to make Saya become an assassin. However, she wouldn't be just any assassin- she'd be number XIII. She'd be in my place. Besides, I was an excellent assassin. I didn't have a heart to begin with, so it made it easy for me to kill people. However, Saya has a heart, so it wouldn't be easy for her to kill people."

The Elders were silent. They didn't know what to say. Train had predicted their actions. Willzark bid Train and Saya permission to leave. After the two sweepers left, Sephiria stepped forward.

"I understand that things did not go the way that you had planned," She said. "Even thought Heartnet will not be returning and Minatsuki will not be joining, we now know what Minatsuki looks like."

Outside Chronos Headquarters, Train and Saya were walking along the sidewalk.

"What did Sven call you about?" Saya asked Train.

"Well, he was wondering where we were, so I told him that we were at Chronos Headquarters. He wasn't too pleased with that, but I told him that we would be back soon. So, while we're at it, let's go back to the hotel."

Saya asked Train, "I know that this is a totally random question, but when I died, how did you feel?"

"Honestly, Saya, it felt like a piece of my heart died with you. It felt like a part of my spirit died, too. However, I realized that I had to live on for you and seek vengeance for your death. I knew that until Creed was brought down, your spirit wouldn't rest. I let Creed go, though. I was wondering if you were okay with that."

"I heard about Creed," Saya said. "I'm okay with that. You destroyed his godhood. I appreciate you avenging my death. However, now that I'm alive, it doesn't really matter. This is just out of curiosity, but what matters to you, Train?"

"To answer your question, all that matters to me is you, Sven, Rinslet, and the Princess. Don't leave me again, Saya. If you left me for a second time, I don't know what I'd do with myself. I'd probably join you in heaven."

"Why would you join me in heaven?" Saya asked.

"Because I'd be lonely," Train said. He was suddenly embarrassed by his sudden romantic feelings, which caused him to blush deeply.

Saya laughed. "You still have that sense of humor, Train."

"I do?" Train asked. "I didn't think I still had it."

Saya grinned. "You still have it."

Elation surged through Train as he stared into Saya's eyes. "Did you know that your eyes are beautiful?"

"Yes," Saya said while blushing. Saya brushed Train's hand with hers until he finally held her hand. They kept talking and holding hands on the way back to their apartment.

"What took you so long?" Sven asked.

"We were taking our time getting back here," Saya said.

The doorbell rang. "Dinner's here," Sven said. That was when he noticed Train's black long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "That's a new one."

"Thanks." Train smiled. "Pizza!" he said happily as Sven put the pizza box down on the table.

"I haven't had pizza in a while," Saya said. She went to cut the pizza with a pizza cutter, but the pizza was tough to cut through. Train put his hands on Saya's and helped her cut the pizza. Saya blushed deeply from the feeling of Train's warm hands. Train sweated slightly from Saya's warmth, but he ignored it and continued helping her cut the pizza.

After they had finished eating dinner, Eve and Sven sat on the couch while Train and Saya went out on the rooftop.

"I have a hunch that Train and Saya are not friends anymore," Eve said.

"What do you mean, Eve?" Sven asked as he flipped the page of his newspaper.

"What I mean is that Train and Saya are now romantically interested in each other," Eve said.

"You mean they like each other?" Sven asked.

"Yes," Eve said. "Did you see the way that Saya blushed when Train helped her cut the pizza? I could also tell that Train was sweating slightly when he was helping Saya cut the pizza."

"I didn't think that they would develop a liking to one another so fast," Sven said.

"I remember Train saying that he knew Saya before he even met us," Eve said. "It is possible that in the few days that Saya has been resurrected, their bond has obviously grown. In my opinion, they are a very cute couple. What do you think, Sven?"

"Sure," Sven said. He couldn't see Train and Saya being a couple. Besides, Train had always been a solitary soul. Could he be abandoning his solitary ways for friends and possible love? It was a change that Sven hoped was happening.

Out on the rooftop, Train and Saya were drinking bottles of milk and sharing funny stories. At a pause in their conversation, Train thought about things for a minute. _I like Saya, _he thought.

Saya was also pondering about things for few minutes. _I like Train, _she thought. _I guess that friends can like each other._ She blushed and smiled purposely to see what Train would do. He blushed and smiled back. A few minutes later, Saya blushed again. Train tried to stop himself from blushing back, but much to his disappointment, he blushed back for a second time. _He definitely likes me, _Saya thought.

_I definitely like her, too, _Train thought.


	9. Kyoko and Charden Pay a Visit

The next morning, when Train was in the shower, Eve and Saya were sitting on the couch while Sven was sitting in the kitchen reading the newspaper. After a few seconds of silence, Eve said to Saya, "Train likes you more than you know."

Saya blinked. Was it possible that Train liked her more than she knew? She was a little suspicious because she didn't quite trust Eve yet. "How do you know that?" she asked.

"His actions say it," Eve said. "His words do, too."

"How can you tell?"

Eve just shrugged slightly. "I just can," was all she said.

At that moment, a bare-chested Train walked into the kitchen and grabbed his shirt before noticing Saya staring at him. "Saya, are you all right?" He held his shirt in his hands as he spoke. Saya felt herself blush red. Her mouth and throat went dry. Feelings of embarrassment and something else-she couldn't tell what it was- ran up and down her spine at a million miles an hour.

"Saya, are you feeling okay?" Train stepped forward and put his wrist on Saya's cheek. Saya froze because of Train's semi-cold wrist against her warm cheek.

"Yeah," she said as Train took his wrist away. Train nodded and put his shirt on.

Not a second after Train finished putting his shirt on, Kyoko came in to the apartment and gasped.

She swooned before saying, "Oh, Mister Black, I knew you'd be here!" She rushed forward to kiss Train.

Saya's previous embarrassment to seeing Train bare-chested was wiped away by fury. She shoved a white cat in front of Kyoko's lips before they touched Train's. Kyoko waited a few seconds to process what she had just kissed before pulling away and coughing.

"That's disgusting! I just kissed a cat! What's worse is that it's the same cat that I've been kissing all along whenever I try to kiss Mister Black!"

"That's because I don't want to kiss you," Train said.

"I love you, though!"

"Well, he doesn't love you," Saya said calmly. She was determined to stay calm while Kyoko was here, especially after the brief moment of fury that she had experienced when Kyoko had first come in to the apartment.

"Yes, he does. He just doesn't want to admit it, though!"

Charden Flamberg came in through the front door just then.

"We meet again, Black Cat," Charden said to Train.

"Charden," Train said. "It's been a while."

"You've finally met my boyfriend!" Kyoko said while proceeding to hang on Train's arm. Train pretended not to notice. _Maybe she'll get the hint and stop hanging on me,_ he thought. Saya was too busy fighting the urge to slap or punch Kyoko to notice that Charden was looking at her.

"My, aren't you something?" Charden said as he stepped over towards Saya. Saya noticed Charden and backed away uncertainly. "It's all right," he said, attempting to soothe her. "I won't hurt you."

_Yeah, right,_ Train thought. _If you lay a nail on her, Charden, I'll kick you and Kyoko out of this apartment instantly._ He felt his body tense up, ready to defend Saya if necessary.

Charden noticed, which was the last thing that Train wanted him to do. "You're tense, Black Cat. Is it true that this is the girl that was brought back to life?"

Train hesitated. He finally said after a few seconds, "Yes, she is the girl that was brought back to life."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Chills crept up and down Train's spine. "What are you talking about?"

"Spirits are amazing. They can bring people back from the dead, just like you." He continued looking at Saya as he spoke.

Saya just stared at Charden in slight shock. _How does he know that my spirit brought me back to life?_

"Are you really alive?" Charden asked as he reached out to touch Saya's cheek. That was when Train interfered.

He jumped in between Charden and Saya. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded sharply. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

"I was only going to determine whether she was alive or not," Charden said.

"She is alive, and you don't need to touch her to determine that," Train shot back.

"Very well, then. I shall believe you and hope that you are right."

Train just glared at Charden.

"It wouldn't be wise to glare at me, Black Cat," Charden said. "I still have my Tao power."

"You quit the Apostles of the Stars," Train said. "Don't use that power anymore."

"I'll use it until the day I die," Charden said defiantly.

Train snorted. "Suit yourself," he said. He couldn't be bothered with Charden's attitude.

"In that case, we shall leave," Charden said.

"But what about Mister Black?" Kyoko protested.

"You can deal with him another time, Kyoko. For now, let's leave. We can come back another time."

Kyoko groaned. "Charden, do we have to leave now?"

"Yes."

Kyoko sighed. "I'll see you soon, Mister Black!" She winked at him and blew him a kiss as she followed Charden.

_Kyoko really is annoying,_ Saya thought after Kyoko and Charden left. "Who's Charden?" she asked. Train turned around. He was now facing Saya.

"Charden was an Apostle of the Star," Train said. "Then he and Kyoko quit."

"Oh. What's his power?"

"It's called 'Blood'. He can manipulate and control his and other people's blood. He could also suck the blood out of all of us if he wanted to."

Saya winced. "That's nasty," she said. She realized how close Train was, but she liked the feeling of him being so close to her. It made her feel safe and protected. Sensing Saya's contentment, Train stood there for a few seconds longer before Sven said, "Will you two ever back up? Train, you're bursting Saya's personal bubble, and Saya, you're bursting Train's personal bubble!"

"They like being close to one another," Eve said. "That is why they are not backing up."

Sven groaned. "I'm going to check us out of this place. You guys pack up your stuff."

"Okay," Train said. He packed up his clothes within a few minutes, helped Saya and Eve pack up their things, and then brought the bags out to the car. Once everyone was settled and in the car, Sven asked, "Where to now?"

"The Adonian Sea," Train said. He was yearning to spend some time on a beach somewhere.

"Sounds good to me," Saya said. She couldn't wait to hit the beach and spend a few days relaxing.

"I wouldn't mind taking a small vacation," Eve said.

"I think that we all need a break to digest what has happened within the last few days," Sven said.

Sven's cell phone rang at that moment. He handed it to Train, who answered it.

Sven continued driving and Train glanced over at Saya, who was staring out the window, almost in a trance.

_Is she okay? It's like she's in a trance or something,_ Train thought. _I can't wait to show her the beach. I wonder if they'll have a firework show down there. Then we can watch it in peace. It'll be the date that never happened._ He felt his heart slide into a content state.

"Who was that?" Sven asked after Train hung up.

"It was Rinslet," Train said.

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to know how we were doing and if we found Saya yet."

"Oh. Did you ask her how things were with Jenos?"

"They're going out?" Train was surprised.

"Yeah."

"Oh. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew."

"No. I don't know things unless people tell me. I can't read people's minds. Saya, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You're just quiet, that's all. You haven't said too much since we started driving."

Saya shrugged. "I just don't feel like talking."

Train nodded.

"You're thinking about Train, aren't you?"

Saya blushed deeply while saying, "No, I'm not thinking about Train! He's sitting right there in the passenger seat. Why should I think about him if he's right there?"

"Because you like him," Eve said.

Saya and Train exchanged glances and sighed.

"Princess, you're something else," Train said.

"She sure is," Sven said. Train just looked at him as if to say, 'That wasn't what I meant, but okay….'

"What do you guys want to do when we get there?" Sven asked.

"Sleep." Train put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Kick back on the beach." Saya drifted off into a daydream about Train.

"Read." Eve flipped to the next page in her book, which Saya noticed was called_ Dream Interpretations_.

"What about you, Sven?" Eve asked.

"Let's do all three-sleep, kick back on the beach, and read- once we unpack at the hotel."

"Sounds good to me," Train said.

"What are you daydreaming about, Saya?" Eve asked.

_Train,_ Saya thought. She looked at Eve a second later.

"It says here that if a woman dreams about a man that she knows, the dream is reflecting the feelings and concerns that you have for that man."

Train blinked. He was facing Saya. _What was that about?_

"Can I see that for a second?" Saya asked Eve, who flipped the page of the book.

"Yes, but do not lose my page," Eve said.

"Don't worry, I won't," Saya said.

After a few more hours of driving, they finally reached the Adonian Sea.


	10. Vacation at the Adonian Sea

After arriving at the Adonian Sea and renting an apartment, Train, Saya, Sven, and Eve went to the beach. Eve, Saya, and Sven slept on reclining chairs while Train went surfing for a little while before coming back, soaking wet and slightly waterlogged. The sun shone brightly and the vast blue ocean made the beach have a peaceful atmosphere. People were sitting on chairs, reading books, talking, and playing card games. The seagulls' voices rang out, signaling their search for food. The city was a few minutes away from the beach.

"Did you catch any good waves, Train?" Saya asked.

"I sure did!" Train said happily as he sat in the recliner next to Saya and pulled his towel over himself. His hair dripped with salt water and he used the towel to take the dampness out of his hair. "I didn't realize that I'd be this wet," he said.

"It's the ocean," Sven said. "What did you expect?" Train shrugged.

Rinslet parked her car outside of the beach and walked over to where Train was.

"Hi, Rins," Train said, taken by surprise that Rinslet had found them once again.

"Hey, Train, Sven, Eve, and Saya," Rins said.

"Hey, Rins," Saya said. "Eve's being anti-social because she has a book in her hands."

"That's how Eve always is when there are books lying around," Sven said. "Right, Eve?"

Eve was too absorbed in reading about surfing to notice.

Jenos waved to Train, who stared in slight shock when he saw him. "Jenos?!" Train asked, shocked that Jenos had come here.

"That's me, all right," Jenos said. His tattoo of the Number VII showed. He sat next to Train, who looked at him as if to say, 'What are you doing?'

"Number VII and Number XIII," Jenos said. "Lucky Number VII and Unlucky Number XIII, that is."

"I don't need reminding of that," Train murmured as Jenos hooked an arm around Train's neck and jerked him close so that his body was on an uncomfortable angle. Train managed to smile a slightly happy smile before Rinslet took a picture of the two Numbers.

"Perfect," she said before handing the camera to Train and Jenos so that they could see the picture.

"Not bad," Jenos said.

"Not bad at all," Train agreed. "Sven, look! Rinslet took a picture of us."

"Took a picture of whom?" Sven asked, still sleeping on the chair.

"Rinslet took a picture of Jenos and I'm in it," Train said while handing the camera to Sven.

"Interesting," Sven said while hardly looking at the picture.

"Your tattoos are on your opposite sides of your chests," Eve observed.

Saya entered a quick state of bliss when she saw Train and Jenos's photo, then Train snapped her out of it.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Saya said quickly, hoping that Train hadn't noticed anything.

"All right," he said.

Saya handed the camera back to Train. Train handed it back to Rinslet, who walked away to put it in her car.

Jenos turned to Train, suddenly serious. "Train, there's another bounty on the loose. Sephiria wants you to capture him alone."

"Why does she want me to do that?" Train asked.

"She wants to test your skills as a sweeper," Jenos said.

Train paused before saying, "I accept."

"I'll tell her that," Jenos said. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sephiria's number.

"Hey, Sephi. This is Jenos…. Train accepts the mission…. His target's name is Joe Noresburg. He's an E-class bomb expert who also carries knives…."

_What did I get myself into now?_ Train thought. _For all I know, this could be a suicide mission._

After hanging up, Jenos said, "You'd better pack your things, Train. I'll drive you to the location of where your target is."

"You're leaving already?" Saya asked Train. "We just got here!"

"It's a sweeper mission," Jenos explained. "Train's going at it alone."

"Train, you idiot! You'll get yourself killed!" Rinslet said.

"No, I won't," Train said. Saya helped Train pack his things at the apartment that they were staying at.

"Train, wait," Saya said before Train could leave the room. Train turned around. A feeling of tranquility passed between them.

"Be careful out there, okay?" Saya asked with concern in her voice.

"Okay," Train said in a reassuring tone.

Saya rummaged in her pants pocket for a minute or two to before pulling out a small necklace with a yellow bead on it. "I was bored last night, so I made it. Take it. I don't need it."

"Thanks, Saya," Train said happily as he took the pendant and put it around his neck. In a burst of untamed and pure ecstasy, he glomped Saya before walking out of the apartment.

Saya stood there, momentarily stunned. It took her a few seconds to notice that Train had left. When she got out of the apartment, she asked Sven, "Did Train leave?"

"Yup," Sven said.

"He left a message for you, too. He said that he liked the pendant that you gave him and that he will take care of himself for you," Eve said.

Saya smiled. That was the attitude that Train had about things like this. He was his own man.

"I hope that Train'll be okay," Sven said. "He's got his cell phone, though, so I can keep in touch with him."

"Don't you also have microchips implanted in the cell phones so that you can see where Train is?" Eve asked.

"Yeah," Sven said. "I'll need to implant your cell phone, too," he said to Saya.

"Okay," Saya said. She took out her cell phone and handed it to Sven, who went inside and busied himself with inserting a chip into Saya's cell phone. Saya worried about Train. She was sure that he could take care of himself, but it was in her nature to worry about other people instead of herself. _This is some vacation,_ Saya thought. She had wanted Train to treat her for dinner tonight. _I guess I can do that when he comes back from his solo mission._

Meanwhile, deep in the city that was near the Adonian Sea, Train was waiting for his bounty in a hotel ballroom.


	11. Train's Solo Mission

Train was waiting for Joe Noresburg in the hotel ballroom. The dance floor was quite big and it shined with what Train assumed was wood polish. White tables and chairs were set up to accommodate the guests so that they could sit whenever they wanted to. Train looked around to see if he recognized anyone, but he didn't. Lots of people were there, milling around and chatting with friends. Occasional laughter broke out, and Train felt like he was amongst a sea of strangers. The loneliness inside of him was slightly unbearable, but he thought of Saya, Sven, Jenos, Rinslet and Eve to keep himself occupied.

_Jenos said that he was an E-class bomb expert. I'd better be careful. I don't want to get hurt just because I'll do something stupid._ It occurred to Train that he could die on this mission. _I'll think about that later,_ he thought while casting the thought aside and sipping his glass of milk that he had ordered. After what seemed like forever, he finally spotted Joe.

Joe was a lanky, thin man with black hair that stuck to his head like paste, his skin was slightly pale, and he had eyes that were as dark as a starless, pitch black night. Train estimated that he was about 5'7''. Joe looked at Train's direction.

"Who are you?" Joe asked once he came over to Train.

"I'm Train Heartnet. You're Joe Noresburg, I presume?"

A look of horror consumed Joe's face. "How-how'd you know my name?!" he asked.

_Play it cool,_ Train told himself. "I read this," Train said as he pulled out the paper that had Joe's bounty on it.

Joe's skin turned paler than it had been when he first came in and quickly regained color. He slipped a bomb out of his jacket while smirking confidently. "Know what this is?" he asked Train in a threatening tone.

"Of course I do," Train said loudly so that way everyone else in the room could hear. "It's a bomb!"

Screaming, everyone ran out of the room as fast as they could. After they all left, the only people in the room were Train and Joe.

"You've scared everyone away," Joe said. "I commend you for that. I know that if one of those people happened to die, my bounty would go down. And you wouldn't want that, would you, Train?" He spoke the words in such a way that it sent chills down Train's spine.

Joe continued speaking. "Once I light this bomb, it will explode within a few seconds. If I have to kill the both of us, I will. I'm not afraid to die. I hope that you're not afraid to die, either."

"I'm not afraid of dying," Train said. He hoped that he wouldn't die on this mission.

"Good. Of course, if you got us out of here in time before the bomb exploded, you'd save both of us. So, what will it be? Will you save me and yourself or will you let us die just because of a bomb?"

_I won't let us die because of a bomb,_ Train thought. "I'll save both of us," Train said. He would save both of them and then capture Joe on the ground. He hoped that it wasn't a long jump.

At that moment, Joe threw the bomb onto the floor after lighting it. Train quickly grabbed Joe and jumped out of the window just before the bomb exploded. He could feel the heat from the explosion on his back. _That was close!_ he thought. He realized that he had misjudged the jump. It was much farther down than he thought it would be. _Uh-oh,_ Train thought. _Now I'm in trouble._

At about halfway down the building, Train saw Joe take out a knife. Before he could react, Joe plunged it into Train's stomach area. Train screamed in agony and let go of Joe. _I wasn't supposed to let go of him!_ Train thought in dismay. Joe started falling faster now that he didn't have Train holding onto him. Train groaned and attempted to pull the knife out of his stomach, but the pain from the wound stopped him. _I hope that Joe doesn't die. When I get down to the ground, I'll capture him and then get Sven to drive me to the hospital._

Train saw Joe reach the ground and take off running. Train soon reached the ground, but his knees buckled underneath him from the force of his landing. He landed on his knees and fell over onto his side. The pain from the wound was now excruciating, and blood was starting to stain his white shirt. He saw a little bit start to make its way onto the sidewalk. Bystanders were now crowding around him. They were whispering, "It's the Black Cat!" and "Is he okay?" Finally, a woman moved them out of the way.

Her blond hair and brown eyes glimmered in the sunlight. Train hoped that she was a trained nurse and that she would take him to the hospital.

"What's your name?"

"Train…" Train paused out of agony. "Train Heartnet." He was glad that he could still talk.

"I'll call an ambulance," she said. Train was relieved. He thought of Saya. Sven would have a cow once he heard that he was hurt. Police sirens started wailing and two cop cars were chasing after Joe. _I guess I won't be getting his reward,_ Train thought out of disappointment. _I guess I'll get someone else's when I'm better._

"Do you have anyone that's nearby?" the woman asked Train.

"Y…yes," Train said. It was an effort for him to speak. "Take my cell phone. There's a man called Sven Vollfied on my contact list. Call him and tell him that I'm hurt."

The woman nodded and did as Train told her to do.

Sven heard his cell phone ring and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi. This is Margaret Duvet. Do you know a man by the name of Train Heartnet?"

"Yes. He's my partner. We're sweepers," Sven said.

"He's hurt."

"What happened?"

Train's vision was starting to blur slightly. The buildings and streets became fuzzier and fuzzier as the moments passed. Blood was now soaking the sidewalk, and Train thought he heard the sound of someone vomiting. His hearing was also beginning to become impaired—he could only hear little phrases clearly.

"He…knife in…stomach area…. …seems as if... might be able to… resolve is strong… called an ambulance… no sign of one yet…. Okay…. I'll tell him…. All right…. …see an ambulance…. Call you back… he's in hospital…."

Train felt himself being lifted onto a stretcher and put in an ambulance with a team of doctors surrounding him. They administered morphine and proceeded to take out the knife that was lodged in Train's stomach once he was numb. Train was hooked up to an oxygen mask and he sucked in the clean air. _I didn't realize that oxygen could taste so sweet,_ he thought.

Once he was at the hospital, Train reviewed what had happened in his mind. He had heard that Joe had been caught, but no one was to receive the bounty until the man who had pursued him came in. _Maybe I _will _get Joe's bounty,_ Train thought happily. After a few more minutes of thinking, he decided to sleep for a little while.

--

_"Train?" It was a voice that he knew from somewhere. The only thing that Train could see was blackness. It surrounded him and made him unable to see who he was talking to._

_"Dad?"_

_"Train?"_

_"Mom?"_

_"Train, honey, where are you?"_

_"Mom, I'm right here." Train was finally able to see. He was holding his mother's body in his arms. His father was lying on the ground beside his mother._

_"Mom, Dad, don't leave me!" he shouted as his mother's body started turning cold._

_"Train, we love you," his mother said as she died._

_Zagine's ghost suddenly appeared, and Train was kneeling in blood._

_"Why?!" Train screamed at Zagine, suddenly consumed by anger. "Why did you have to kill them?! Why did you have to kill my parents?"_

_Zagine didn't answer. He turned and walked away._

_Suddenly, Train saw Saya singing her song on the rooftop next to him. He wasn't holding his mother's body anymore. Braccio City's lights shone in the darkness._

_Sing a song unto the world,_

_Rising high, the clouds unfurl._

_Fan the flames into the past._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_We'll never know the times of pain._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_My life won't be plain._

--

_That was strange,_ Train thought. He fell asleep again.

--

_"Saya!" Train said happily._

_"Hi, Train," Saya said while jumping onto Train's rooftop. She sat next to Train and asked him, "Isn't the sky so beautiful at night?"_

_"Yes, it is. Just like you," he added before he could stop himself._

_Saya blushed, smiled, and moved closer to Train. Train enjoyed Saya's warmth for a little while before blushing and leaning in to kiss Saya's cheek with his puckered lips._

--

_Darn it, _Train thought. _I didn't get to kiss Saya._

"Train?"

Train woke up and was nearly blinded by the sunlight. "How long have I slept for?" he asked, slightly groggy.

"A day," Sven said.

"That felt like forever," Train said.

"Saya was worried about you," Eve said.

_That's Saya, all right,_ Train thought. _She's always worried about others and not herself._

"Train, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why?" Train asked.

"You just got this tender look in your eyes," Sven said.

"Where's Rinslet?" Train asked, eager to change the subject.

"She's off in Rishia," Sven said.

"And Saya?"

At that moment, Saya came in to the room.

"Train, are you okay?" she asked. Concern worked its way into her voice.

"Yeah," he said. He didn't want Saya to worry about him.

Saya nodded. Train's pendant glimmered in the sunlight. "You're still wearing it?" she asked.

"Yup," Train said. "I like it. It kind of matches my bell and my eyes." He smiled warmly. "Speaking of pendants, yours matches your eyes, too." A tender look crept into his eyes again and stayed there. The same look made its way into Saya's eyes and also stayed there. Train and Saya stared at each other with the same look in their eyes for a few minutes, unable to look away.

"This is getting awkward," Eve whispered to Sven.

"It sure is," Sven whispered back.

Train and Saya broke their eye contact. Train saw the looks on Sven and Eve's faces and said, "Sorry, guys. I guess I got a little carried away there or something." He turned slightly pink from embarrassment.

"That's okay," Sven said. Train's stomach growled, breaking the slight awkward silence that had come between the sweepers. Sven's stomach growled right after Train's did, which sent the four of them into small fits of laughter.


	12. Sephiria Returns

Train was lying in the hospital bed, feeling lonely. The nurses had come in and told Sven, Saya, and Eve that visitor's hour was over, so they had left with the promise that they would come tomorrow.

"Heartnet." Train saw who the voice belonged to. _Sephiria._

"Hello, Sephiria. Back again already? Did you miss me?"

"That is not why I came to visit, Train."

"Then why did you come?"

"I came to ask you how your mission went. Did you receive his bounty?"

"Actually, it's kind of complicated."

"Complicated?" It was a challenge. "Tell me."

"Well, he was at the hotel room that he said he was going to be in. Things were going fine until he pulled out a bomb. Naturally, there were other people in the same room, so I yelled, 'It's a bomb!' Then everyone ran out of the room except Joe and me. When he lit the bomb, I grabbed him and got the hell out of there before the bomb killed us both.

"Then the scumbag had to pull out a knife and stab me in the stomach with it. I screamed and let go of him. He started falling, and when he landed, he just took off like a bat out of hell. When I landed, though, my knees buckled and I fell over on my side. These people started crowding around me and they were saying, 'It's the Black Cat!' and 'Is he okay?' Then someone vomited."

"And?" It was a prompting word, a word that said, 'Go on.'

"And then this woman—"

"—What was her name?"

"Margaret Duvet."

Sephiria nodded.

"This woman came over and she asked me what my name was. I told her and she called an ambulance. Once I was in the ambulance, they gave me morphine and took the knife out of me. The rest, as they say, is history."

"I saw Vollfied, Minatsuki, and the bioweapon leave. Were they there when you were injured?"

"No. Have I failed the mission?"

"No, but the police are still waiting for you to come and get his bounty."

"I'll do that tomorrow, when I'm better."

Sephiria left a few minutes later. The smell of cleaning fluid bothered Train's nose, and he sneezed. He lay there for a few minutes and then took a nap. He slept soundly and woke up to pitch black.

_What the hell?_ He thought as he lay there. _What's going on here? Why are all the lights off? Most importantly, where is everyone?_

The lights flickered back on again a few seconds later. _Ow,_ Train thought as he squinted and struggled to let his eyes adjust to the light. _Can't they dim the lights in here?_

His cell phone rang on the table beside him. He picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?"

The dial tone exploded in his ear. _What was that all about? I guess someone tried to call me and the call was lost._ A second later, his phone rang again, and he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Mister Black, you finally answered! I've been trying to call you for hours now, and you haven't picked up!"

"I actually picked up the last time you called me."

"Oh. I lost the call because my phone service sucks. I'm sorry."

"That's okay. Do you need anything?"

"I heard that you were hurt and wanted to know if you were okay."

"I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me."

Kyoko sighed on the other line. "Mister Black, you're so handsome," she gushed. Train sweatdropped profusely while she continued to talk. "I love you so much. I wish I was there. I'd kiss you until you felt better."

_No thanks,_ Train thought. _I'll pass._

"Listen, Kyoko…. I have to go. The doctor will be mad at me if I don't rest."

"Okay, Mister Black. I'll call you tomorrow." She hung up after that.

"She's so annoying," Train muttered to himself as he put his phone back on the table beside his hospital bed. The bland white walls made him feel as if he was in some sort of mental institution. The lights glared at him and he glanced at the bathroom door. He got up, went to the bathroom, and got back in bed again. He closed his eyes. The last conscious thought that hit him was that he missed Saya before he fell asleep and dreamed about her.

--

_"Saya, get back here!" Train said. He was currently chasing after her on the rooftops, leaping with enthusiasm after his friend._

_Saya laughed and said, "Catch me if you can, Train!" She leapt over countless rooftops in an attempt to get away from Train, but Train was always a step behind her. Train finally caught up to her and pulled her into a tight hug._

_"What do I get for catching you?" he asked her._

_Saya smiled. "This," she said while leaning in to kiss his cheek._

_Train felt fireworks explode inside his heart at the moment Saya's lips touched his cheek. He felt his face warm with hot blood. He hated blushing at moments like these— tender moments that warmed his heart and made him fall a little more for Saya._

--

Train woke up with that same warm feeling in his heart. He sighed quietly as he pictured Saya's face in his mind. At that moment, Saya walked into the room.

"Where are Sven and the Princess?" he asked her.

"They're checking in." She had cravings for little one-on-one times with Train.

Train nodded and smiled. Saya smiled and sat on the edge of Train's bed. She asked, "What did the doctor say?"

"He said that I should be fine in a few days or so."

Saya nodded. She leaned in and pressed her lips against Train's forehead for a few seconds. Train felt electric shocks run through his muscles and his blood turn warm when he felt Saya's lips. "Feel better, Train," she said.

At that moment, Eve came in.

"Train, are you okay? You look as if you are in a daze or something," Eve said.

Train was unable to speak momentarily, but he got his voice back after a few seconds. "Saya kissed my forehead," he managed to croak. Eve looked over in Saya's direction and Saya blushed.

Train started giggling madly. Saya stared at him like he was possessed. Eve sweatdropped and asked Train, "Train, are you possessed?"

Train stopped giggling and asked, "What?"

"You were giggling," Saya said.

"What's wrong with giggling?" Train asked.

"Nothing," Saya said. "I've never heard you giggle before, that's all."

Train nodded, a small grin appearing on his face.

Sven came into the room at that moment.

"What took you so long, Sven?" he asked as Sven handed him a present. He unwrapped it and stared in slight shock. It was a new bell that shone in the sunlight.

"A bell?" Train asked, slightly taken aback.

"It's for your collar," Sven said. "Eve picked it out."

Eve put the new bell on Train's collar. It sparkled in the sunlight. Train flicked the bell and it jingled loudly in the room. Train smiled delightedly. "Thanks, Princess. I like it."

"When will you get the bounty?" Sven asked.

"Tomorrow," Train said.

"Sounds good to me," Sven said. Train nodded.

Sven and Eve bid their goodbyes and said that they would pick Train up tomorrow.

"Wait," Train said to Saya before she left the room.

Saya came over and asked Train, "What is it?"

He motioned for her to come closer. "I have to tell you something." Saya bent forward, expecting Train to whisper something into her ear. Instead, he kissed her forehead. They smiled at each other for a few seconds after Train pulled away.

"You should go," he said to Saya. "Sven and Eve are probably wondering where you are."

"Yeah, I probably should. See ya tomorrow!" She winked at him as she left the room. Train felt his face go red, but he ignored it.

_Saya,_ Train thought happily as he sunbathed in the room. _It's a shame I can't go out on the rooftop,_ he thought. He was happy for some unknown reason. He lay in bed until he was so hungry that he could eat a horse. He then ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup and hoped that it tasted good.


	13. Medulla aestris & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Train woke up feeling normal. His stomach wound was better, and he was hoping to get the bounty today and say goodbye to the hospital. The white, prison-like walls would no longer surround him and make him feel like he was in some mad scientist's laboratory. The obnoxious blue curtains that were reserved for another person hurt his eyes. His white bed was making him feel like he was going to go crazy. Since he couldn't stand the sight of his room any longer, he decided to stretch his legs a little bit. He put on thin blue socks before stepping onto the floor and gasping slightly from the cold. The floor was almost like ice when he put his feet on it and it stung slightly whenever he walked, but he eventually got used to it. He saw the nurses and doctors scurry off in different directions, scrambling to get to their patients.

One nurse stopped by to ask him how he was doing. Train saw that her name tag read 'Kura.' Kura's blue eyes and blond hair made her look like a typical blond, but her personality was the opposite. Her firm yet gentle voice made Train shudder slightly, but he kept it hidden. He didn't want her to know that she made him feel a little standoffish. He told her that he was fine, and that was that. She strongly reminded him of Sephiria.

Train was walking around when Sven and Eve came in. Eve noticed how white and plain the hospital seemed. She asked Sven if they could check out the kids' room. The kids' room, which was all colorful and drawn upon by the hospital staff with Disney characters from Snow White and the like, was the extreme opposite from the rest of the hospital. The beds were made with blue sheets that matched the medium blue wall color. Some toys lay on the floor. It was like two extremes— the adult's side was white, almost like a blank canvas, while the kids' side was jam-packed with color and design. Eve was anxious to find Train and let him get his bounty before anything else happened to him. Then again, he was number XIII, and bad things tended to find Train even when he didn't want them. They visited Train's room and saw that his bed was not made. It looked like he had gotten out of it a little while ago. Sven remembered that Saya was in the car because she wanted to surprise Train when he came out.

In the car, Saya was excited to see Train. She was also getting worried—what was taking them so long? Was Train hurt again? She hoped that he was okay—he had been through too much already. She decided to wait a few more minutes before she would decide to go in and check on the situation.

Back in the hospital, Sven and Eve were hunting down Train. Eve suggested hat they wait by the front desk. Sure enough, Train met up with them there.

"Hey, guys!" he said. Happiness filled him at the sight of Sven and Eve. "Where's Saya?" Train asked.

"You'll see," Sven said. Train was excited. _I GET TO SEE SAYA!!_ His brain shrieked in an elated tone.

Train got dressed in his normal clothes while Sven and Eve were busy checking Train out of the hospital. When Train was done, he stepped out of his room and ran to where Sven and Eve were.

"You look nice," Sven said. Train had a long-sleeved black shirt on that showed half his chest. His black pants and shoes matched the shirt and his brown gun holster stuck out. His bell and pendant shone in the artificial light.

"Thanks," Train said.

"Saya would probably die if she saw you in that, you know," Eve said.

"I know," Train said before smiling happily.

Sven told Train to go ahead and wait in the car while they checked him out of the hospital. Once he left the hospital, Saya saw Train and nearly gasped. She noticed that his pendant and bell glittered. His hair and eyes glowed in the sunlight, and his outfit sent an unspeakably powerful rush of ecstasy through her. She could have sworn that her blood sang in her veins.

"Hey, Saya," Train said casually. He opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Saya sat in the back and said nothing due to her being speechless because of Train's comeliness.

"Hi, Train," she managed to croak after a few seconds of trying to regain her voice.

"You look nice," Train said. Saya had a white yukata with pink flowers on.

"Thanks," Saya said while blushing slightly. Train just smiled, unsure of what to say. After five minutes of total silence, Sven came out to deliver news.

"What is it, Sven?" Train asked.

"Do you want the bad news?" Sven asked.

"Sure," Train said, feeling that he had no choice but to hear the news.

"They found some particles on the knife. It seems to be some sort of disease. I'll e-mail the picture of the particles to Rinslet and see if she can conduct some research on it."

"Okay," Train said. Dread filled him at the thought of being infected with some disease that he didn't know about and that he would have to stay in the hospital for an even longer amount of time.

"How's your stomach?" Saya asked.

"It's better than it was a few days ago," Train said with as much optimism as he could muster after hearing the bad news that Sven had given him.

A few hours later, Rinslet called with information on the _Medulla aestris_ particles that were on the knife.

"Can you put me on speakerphone?" She asked Sven as Sven put her on speakerphone.

"All right. Is everyone here?" she asked.

"I'm here," Train said glumly.

"I'm beside Train," Saya said.

"I am also here," Eve said.

"I put you on speakerphone," Sven said.

"Of course you put me on speakerphone, you dork! If I wasn't on speakerphone, I wouldn't have heard Train, Eve, Saya, or you, for that matter!"

"What's with the particles?" Train asked.

"As you already know, it's called _Medulla aestris_. This website says that symptoms don't show for up to a few months. There are also five stages. Well, that's what they've seen so far. It might have more than five."

_Great, _Train thought sarcastically. "Is it deadly?" he asked.

"Yes, but that's only because no one's been strong enough to defeat it. However, I think you'll be strong enough and live through it."

"What are the symptoms?"

"The symptoms of stage 1 are a fever and feeling slightly run-down. Stage 2's symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Stage 3's symptoms are a decrease in appetite and fainting spells that grow 5 minutes longer every time. Stage 4's symptoms are intensified pain, slight convulsions that last for a minute and slight uncontrollable muscle trembling. Stage 5 makes all of your organs hurt one at a time until your whole body—bones, muscles, everything—hurts. It usually saps the person's strength little by little until the person dies. However, I saw a stage 6."

"What symptoms does that have?" Train asked while putting down his pencil. He had been writing down the stages and their symptoms as Rinslet was talking. His page looked like this:

Medulla aestris Stages and Symptoms-

Stage 1- Fever and feeling run-down.

Stage 2- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Stage 3- Decrease in appetite and 5-minute fainting spells.

Stage 4- 1-minute long, slight convulsions, slight uncontrollable muscle trembling, and intensified pain.

Stage 5- Organs hurt one at a time until whole body hurts, saps strength little by little.

"What about stage 6?" Train asked Rinslet.

"Hold on," Rinslet said. A few seconds later, she asked Train, "Are you writing this down?"

"Yes," Train said.

"Okay. Stage 6's symptoms are loss of emotion, senses, sensation, etc., and all there is to do is fight the disease and either win or die trying."

Train added more to his piece of paper:

Stage 6- Loss of emotion, senses, sensation, etc., fight disease (either win or die).

"Got all of it, Train?" she asked.

"Yup," Train said.

"Good. Hang onto it and check the stages off as you go."

"Will do, Rins," Train said.

"Good. I'll keep in touch and give you a buzz if I find anything else. By the way, Train, please try not to get hurt in the time being."

Train sighed. "I'll try not to."

"You get a cookie for trying not to get hurt. Anyways, I'll see you guys soon. Have a good day! Bye!" Rinslet said as she hung up.

Train slammed his fist on the table in a disappointed way. "I didn't get my damn cookie."

"You'll get it the next time we see Rinslet," Sven promised.

Train sighed. The phone rang again and he picked it up after recognizing the number that was on the caller I.D.

"Hey, Rins."

"Hey, Train. Tell the others that I'll see you tomorrow. I'll bring you the cookie that I promised."

Train's eyes glowed with slight childish excitement. "I get the cookie tomorrow?!" he asked.

"You sure do."

"Awesome! Thanks, Rins. I owe you one."

"No problem, Train. I know how much you like cookies—especially chocolate chip ones."

Train just smiled. He was happy to get a cookie, but a chocolate chip one made him especially happy.

"Train just died and went to chocolate chip cookie heaven," Sven explained when Rinslet asked why Train had gone silent.

After Rinslet said, 'Oh, goodbye,' and hung up, Saya, Eve, and Sven all burst into laughter while Train stared at them like, 'Hey!'

"You crack me up, Train," Saya said after calming down.

Train smiled and absentmindedly stared at Saya.

Saya snapped her fingers in Train's face, and Train blinked, startled out of his reverie.

"Are you okay?" she asked Train.

"Yeah," Train said. "I was just daydreaming, that's all."

"About what?" Eve asked.

Train shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just a bunch of random stuff." Saya, Eve and Sven looked at him in disbelief as he spoke.

"What? It's true!" he said.

Saya sighed. "Sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do with you," she said to Train. "Anyways, I'm going to take a shower. Let me know if you need anything." As she walked off towards the shower, Train stared after her, mesmerized by how she looked.

"Train, you're staring again," Eve reminded Train. Train just sighed.

When Saya was done showering ten minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and realized that she had forgotten her clothes, which were in the dryer. She had meant to bring them up with her that way she could change in the bathroom. She went to the dryer wrapped in just a towel. She hoped that Train wasn't there.

Sven and Eve couldn't believe that all Saya was wearing was a towel.

"Where's Train?" Saya asked while getting her clothes out from the dryer.

"He went to—" Eve was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

Train immediately looked away while blushing after seeing that Saya was clad in a towel. Saya quickly finished gathering her clothes while blushing at the same time and quickly ran upstairs to the bathroom.

"Jeez," Train said. "What is it with women and being clad in nothing but towels?"

"You guys both freaked out at the sight of each other," Sven said.

"No kidding," Train said as he took out the groceries. He finished packing them away and was lying on the couch when Saya came downstairs. She yawned, curled up next to Train, and fell asleep. Train put his arm around her waist while fighting the strong urge to blush and also fell asleep. They both ended up dreaming about each other.


	14. Confessions and a Psychopath

Train woke up to find Saya in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. He smiled and felt tenderness overpower his heart. He looked up to find Eve standing in front of him.

"What is it, Princess?" he asked her.

"You like Saya a lot more than she knows, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Why haven't you told her yet?"

Train was silent for a minute.

"Are you afraid?" Eve asked.

"Yes."

"Of what?"

Train sighed. "If you promise not to tell Saya, I'll tell you."

"What about Sven?"

"You can tell him. Just make him promise that he won't tell Saya either, okay?"

"Okay."

Train wrapped his pinkie around Eve's and said, "I'm afraid that if I tell Saya about my feelings for her, it'll scare her away and ruin our friendship."

-

Eve sat on the edge of the couch and was thinking back on what Train had said when Saya was still sleeping. Train and Saya had gone after a bounty after Saya had woken up, and Sven was back from collecting a bounty they had caught earlier this morning. Eve remembered her conversation with Train.

**FLASHBACK**

Eve had found Train's reasoning a little out of the ordinary. He was usually straightforward with his opinion about things, so why did he suddenly hesitate to tell Saya about his feelings for her?

When she asked him about it, he had replied, "Like I said before, I'm afraid of losing our friendship."

"You can always rebuild it," she had said.

"Maybe, but she could always remember the fact that I had feelings for her and then she might not want to engage in a friendship with me again. I don't know what could happen, and I don't want to risk it—not right now, at least."

Eve nodded. Since Train had made up his mind, she decided not to bug him anymore. She went into the kitchen and got herself a chocolate chip cookie. She didn't know why, but she had a sudden craving for them. Train fell asleep with Saya's head pressed against his.

Eve was studying Train and Saya intently as they slept. Train would occasionally twitch as most people do in their sleep, and Saya gave a quiet sigh of contentment. Eve had watched them until Sven came home.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Train and Saya came back from their bounty, but Train's shoulder was bleeding. Saya sat Train down and made him take his shirt off so that she could put the bandages around his shoulder. All the while, Train and Saya's hearts were fluttering wildly. After Saya was done, Train put his shirt on and thanked Saya. Train walked away and sat on a chair in the kitchen. Eve had a sudden urge to be evil and stuck her foot out in front of Saya when she was right in front of Train's chair. Saya tripped and fell on top of Train, who went red instantly.

"What was that for, Princess?" Train asked as he helped Saya out of her uncomfortable position.

"I wanted to see what would happen, that's all," Eve said. Train sighed.

"Are you okay?" he asked Saya.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Saya fixed her yukata.

_She's okay,_ Train thought as relief swept over him. His heart had a hard time calming down after being so close to Saya. Saya's heart was also racing after being so close to Train.

Sven said, "How much did you guys get?"

Train grinned. "One million!"

There was nothing that Sven could do but gape because of his speechlessness.

"That just got rid of all our debts," Eve said.

"He nearly killed us, though," Saya muttered while looking at Train.

"I did not!" Train said, thoroughly annoyed that Saya would accuse him of almost killing them.

"I meant the bounty, Train," Saya said.

"Oh," Train mused.

Saya went to the fridge and got out a bottle of milk, then drank it within a matter of seconds.

Train reached for the bottle, but Saya pulled it away from him and asked, "Are you trying to seduce me with your empty milk bottle?" When Train didn't reply, she said, "I'm on to you." Train groaned while turning away and blushing. Sven looked up from his newspaper to see what made Train groan. Train got a milk bottle from the fridge and downed it. Saya watched him from the sink.

She compared Train to a cat—quiet and calm one minute, fierce and protective the next. He had claws that could tear anything apart, and fangs that could pierce the hardest of flesh.

It took her a minute to realize that Train was looking at her in a questioning manner that seemed to ask, "Why are you staring at me like I'm the best thing since sliced bread?"

Saya blushed and apologized. Train blinked and smiled understandingly. He put the milk bottle in the recycling bin and while he did so, his hand somehow found a way to brush Saya's. He blushed from the contact and hoped that Saya hadn't seen him. Train looked up at her, smiled in a slightly embarrassed way, and walked away to ask Sven if there were any bounties that were quick and easy to catch.

Saya felt that she was being watched, so she went over by Eve and sat down next to the bioweapon. Eve looked at her for a second, and then whispered in Saya's ear, "Something's wrong." Saya looked around and saw Train looking out the window. Train was giving someone a death glare. For a second, the phrase _if looks could kill_ ran through Saya's mind.

-

Saya was singing Konoyo no Uta to herself silently as she was cleaning the kitchen. Her mind was racing, and she was cleaning in an attempt to soothe it. However, it was useless, as Saya felt more and more anxious as the minutes dragged on. She had just seen an episode of some show that dealt with stalking, and Saya was secretly scared that someone was stalking her. Her gut was giving her bad vibes, and Saya wished that she had gone with Train, Eve and Sven to catch their bounty. She had felt safe when Train was there, and he had stayed a few extra minutes in an attempt to convince her to come with them, but she had refused, saying that she was going to be fine and that she had her gun.

Train had finally left her, but not without reminding her to give him a buzz if she was in trouble. Ever since last Monday, she had felt eyes bore into the back of her head, but she had decided not to say anything just in case it was her mind playing tricks on her. It was now a week later, and Saya still felt those eyes in the back of her head. She had the feeling that her pursuer, whoever they were, was getting closer, and that she should do something about it. Unfortunately for Saya, there was a storm going on, and the lightning made Saya abandon the idea to do something about the current situation that she was in. She turned around to see a man standing there, staring at her. Saya gasped and backed away in fright.

She immediately thought of Train and what he would do in this situation. In Train's case, he would beat the crap out of the guy until he left. Saya wasn't as strong or fast as Train was, so she would just have to make do with her abilities until Train and his friends got home.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Tom Nookshire." The name rang through Saya's mind as she remembered that he was on the list of high-bounty fugitives.

"You seem frightened," Tom said in an attempt to soothe Saya. "It's alright. Don't be afraid." He extended his hand to Saya, but Saya slapped it away feebly. Tom reached out and pulled her close, then whispered into Saya's ear, "I won't hurt you. I'll protect you from your friends. You'll be safe with me." _It's more like my friends will protect me from you,_ Saya countered in her mind.

"My friends are coming back soon," Saya said as bravely as she could. "They'll show you not to mess with us. Besides, I'm armed."

"With what, a peashooter?" Tom asked condescendingly.

"A Beretta 93R isn't a peashooter," Saya said. "Besides, I could blow a leg off of you if I had to."

"Yeah, right," Tom said. He knew that Saya was bluffing. _There's no way that you can do that. It isn't possible. A Beretta 93R? Give me a break. That thing's hardly worth anything. It couldn't even scratch me._

_Come back soon, Train,_ Saya pleaded._ Please come back soon. I need your help._

-

When Train came back, Saya wasn't there.

"Dammit!" he muttered. He gasped when he saw a note on the wall. It said:

_Black Cat,_

_If you wish to retrieve your friend, she will be at the church at 57th street. Good luck finding us there. She won't live for much longer. I'll end her life at midnight._

_Tom Nookshire_

_It's written in Saya's blood._ Train's anger started to increase as each second passed. "Sven," he said wrathfully, "stay here with the Princess. I have to get Saya."

With those words, Train stalked out of the apartment and ran at full speed towards the church on 57th street.


	15. The Black Cat's Wrath

Train's heart was pounding. While he was running, a memory with his mother came back to him.

**FLASHBACK**

_Train was sitting on the edge of his bed, listening to his mother talk. Her brown eyes pierced his yellow ones in a motherly way. "Train, when you care for someone and their life is in danger, you would do anything to make them safe again. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, mom," Train said._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

_I didn't understand what Mom's words meant back then, but now that Saya's life is in danger again, I know what she means. Mom and Dad, wherever you are, please watch over Saya and keep her safe until I get there._

Train pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. It was 10:42 P.M. _I'm running out of time faster than I thought I was,_ he thought with dread. He hoped that he would be able to reach the church before midnight.

Inside the church, Saya was quivering with fright. Tom was sharpening a knife while talking. Under the light of the suspended lamp, his hair looked abnormally brown. Tom was saying, "Once your little friend gets here, I'll wound him so much that he won't be able to move. Then, when this clock strikes midnight, I'll plunge this knife into your chest and cut your heart out. Then I'll show your heart to him and kill him, too."

"You wouldn't dare!" Saya said. It was a pathetic attempt at being brave, but it was all she could do to stop herself from panicking. _If you don't get here soon, Train, I'll go insane._ Saya could feel her sanity slowly slip away from her. She gasped slightly when she saw two spirits appear by her side. "Who are you?" she whispered softly.

"Train's mother," the brown-haired, brown-eyed woman said.

"Train's father," the black-haired, blue-eyed man said.

Saya smiled. "How did you get here?"

"Train sent us to protect you until he got here," Train's mom said. With that, they took out their guns and aimed at Tom Nookshire. Tom turned around and his piercing blue eyes widened as he took in the sight of Train's parents with their guns cocked and aimed at his heart. He then smirked and took out his knife.

That was when Train jumped in preparation to break through the glass portion of the roof on the church. _Let's hope that this works out well,_ he thought. He checked the time on the clock. It was 11:00. _Good. I made it here an hour early._

With that, he smashed through the glass and seemed to float in the air for the better part of a minute.

Saya stared at Train with awe as he fell. His arms were above his head to allow the wind to get under his blue half coat. His legs were bent slightly at the knees and he landed on both feet with the grace of a cat.

Train's yellow catlike eyes quickly scanned Saya's body for any visible wounds, and then, satisfied with what he had seen, silently thanked his parents for keeping Saya safe. He turned to Tom and pulled out Hades.

"If you think that you can faze me, you can't. I've had too many guns pointed at me to even think about flinching."

Train snorted. _Yeah, right. You're just bluffing. I saw you flinch._ In one quick movement, he jumped behind Tom and hit him in the back of the head. Tom fell on his face with a small groan. Train then pointed Hades at Tom.

Tom wouldn't go down that easily. He rose from his position and punched Train in the face before Train could do anything about it. Tom then kicked Train in the face and kneed him in the groin with such speed that Train couldn't react. Saya felt her heartstrings pull as she saw Train getting beat up by Tom. Train somehow rose above the pain and proceeded to hit Tom with Hades again. Train then shot him in the leg. Tom screamed and ran toward Train as if he had never been shot.

Saya remembered Creed. Train stared at Tom in shock before dodging Tom's attack. _I just shot him in the leg!_ Train thought. _How could he still be standing? Impossible!_

Tom grabbed his knife and sliced Train's cheek before Train could dodge it. Train groaned and punched Tom with as much force as he could muster at that moment. Seeing a glass window on the church wall, Tom threw his knife down, grabbed Train, and rammed him into the window headfirst. The window shattered and numerous pieces of glass cut Train's face. One got him beneath his right eye, another on his forehead, a third over his left eye, and a fourth cut his lip.

Train's head pounded from the impact of the glass, and he felt the blood trickle down his face from his wounds. Train realized that blood loss and its effects were rapidly becoming inevitable. As of that moment, all that mattered to him was that Saya was safe and that he effectively beat the living hell out of Tom without killing him, turn him in to the police, and get his bounty. Train stared at Tom for a few seconds and then became the Black Cat. The Black Cat's senses were on high alert, and he internally shoved the sweeper out of the way. Tom knew what he had done. He had provoked the Black Cat, and he was now facing the ex-Chronos Number's wrath.

Tom smirked and picked up his knife. Train kicked Tom in the face and then grabbed him by his hair and hit him with his forehead. Train then shoved his elbow into Tom's neck and kneed Tom in the groin. Tom groaned as nausea overcame him. He fought off the urge to vomit. Train then rammed his fist into Tom's gut as hard as he could. Tom retched on the floor. Saya wrinkled her nose at the sound, sight and smell of the vomit.

Tom then smirked, wiped his mouth off with the back of his wrist, then picked up his knife and charged at Train. Train hopped up on a pew and leapt up in the air. Train then slammed his knee in Tom's face. Saya was tied to the cross at the front of the church. Train picked up Tom, smashed his forehead against the seat of the pew, picked up Tom's knife, and then rushed over to where Saya was.

Train then talked in a hoarse whisper. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah."

"Once I'm done freeing you, I'll distract Tom so that you can get away. I have a feeling that Sven's outside with the car." Train was cutting the rope that bound Saya as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"Train?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming here and saving me."

Train looked at Saya with fondness as he said, "You're welcome. However, you should come with us on a bounty hunt next time."

Saya smiled as she slid free of the rope. Train grasped her shoulders in a friendly way and said, "All right. When I distract Tom, make a break for it. I'll see you later." A strong urge to peck Saya on the cheek coursed through Train, but he ignored it. With that, he took off toward Tom and kicked him in the side. Adrenaline sang through Saya's veins and her heart raced as she took off in the direction of the door. Saya knew that Train was fighting Tom with everything he had for her, his first true friend.

Train watched Saya's progress through his peripheral vision. He smiled internally as she left the church with one last glance at his progress with the fight.

_He never left my side when I fought, so why should I leave his? I should stay with him until this fight ends._ Saya watched for a little bit until she realized that Train's resolve was quickly fading. She took out her gun and calculated the angle that she would have to shoot in order to save Train. Once she figured it out, she prayed that it would work, aimed, and fired.

The shot bounced off the walls and landed right in Tom's back, hitting against his spine. The pain immobilized Tom and allowed Train to maneuver himself out of Tom's reach. Train was just about to put the handcuffs on Tom's wrists when Tom's elbow lashed out and sunk itself into Train's neck. Train smashed into a pew and a small groan of pain wormed its way out of his mouth. Blood was on the floor where Train had smashed Tom's forehead against the pew. Tom then ran over to Saya and prepared to slice her throat, but Train jumped up and hit Tom's face with his elbow. Tom flew and slammed against a pew.

"Go," Train said to Saya. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Saya asked, concerned about Train. Blood now streaked down his face and bruises lined his face. He looked like crap, but Saya thought he was absolutely handsome despite his injuries.

"Yeah. I'm sure." Train knew that Saya would be safe with Sven and Eve.

"Okay. Just call me if anything happens."

"All right. I will." Train watched Saya leave and then headed back into the church to finish the fight. Tom was hunched over, gasping for breath.

"I'm here to take you into custody." Train pulled out handcuffs and quickly secured them around Tom's wrists before Tom could do anything about it. Tom then lashed out with his foot, causing Train to fall down. Tom then kicked at Train relentlessly until Train found the strength to grab Tom's foot and pull it out from underneath him. Tom fell to the ground and was kicked repeatedly by Train for a few minutes.

Train was also gasping for breath. "Give up?" he asked.

"Never," Tom said. Train kicked him once more, causing Tom to pass out. Train turned Tom into the police station and got his million dollar reward. Train then went home.

"Train!" Saya said happily before glomping him.

"Saya!" Train glomped her back. He smiled, knowing that he was safe and with people who cared about him. Sven put Band-aids on Train's wounds after Train washed his face to get the blood off of it. Train was exhausted, so he went to bed early after bidding everyone good night. A few minutes later, Saya came up, curled in next to Train, and fell asleep while she was watching him sleep.


	16. Patches, Suspicion, and Water Fountains

"Why do they always do that?" Sven muttered after leaving Train and Saya's room. He had popped his head in to check on them. He also wanted to make sure that Creed wasn't nearby. The last thing that he needed was that deranged psychopath coming in and killing them all just to make Train come with him to wherever Creed lived._ Poor Echidna. How the hell does she live with him?_ Sven's stomach rumbled out of thin air, and Eve said, "You just ate. It is Train and Saya that should be hungry—they did not eat anything after they came home. Are they snuggling again?"

"Yeah. They always seem to do it."

Eve nodded. She flipped the page of her book, which was about the progression of feelings to the point of love.

"Why are you reading about that, Eve?"

"I feel like it. Besides, if Train and Saya need help figuring things out in their relationship, I might be able to help them if they need it."

Sven laughed. "They're adults, Eve. They should be able to figure things out on their own. Not to crush your hopes or anything, but it's true. I'm going to bed."

"Sven?"

"Yeah, Eve?"

Eve put down her book and asked, "Do you think Saya will have an impact on Train's life even more than she had on it before?"

"She saved me from Chronos." Sven and Eve glanced at Train to see the sweeper standing in the doorway to their bedroom, looking at them with sleepy yet slightly affectionate eyes. "To answer your question, Princess, yes, she probably will have more of an impact on my life. Feelings are strong things, and I won't second-guess them, as I do with everything else. Now let's get some shut-eye and we can go on tangents about this in the morning." He turned around and went back into the bedroom.

"That was the first time I've heard Train talk like that since I've met him," Sven said. "Do you think Saya's got something to do with that?"

"Yes," Eve said. "I am tired, too. Let's go to bed for now and continue about this in the morning." Long after Eve had fallen asleep, Sven lay there, awake and wondering about what could have caused this change in Train. He had a deep feeling that this was only the beginning of something possibly life-changing for his partner, and he hoped that Train dealt with it in the best way that he could. _Knowing Train, he'll probably come to terms with it quickly,_ Sven thought.

Train woke up to the most wonderful sight he had seen in his life. Saya was sitting on the edge of the bed, bathed in sunlight. She seemed to be glowing, and Train wondered in his half-awake, half-asleep mind, _Is Saya really an angel sent from Heaven?_ The two sweepers gazed at each other in awe, speechless yet communicating without words.

Train gazed into Saya's bright blue eyes and proceeded to lose himself in them. A few minutes later, Saya somehow managed to bring herself back to the present and say, "Good morning, Train. You sure do sleep late."

Train smiled before saying, "Good morning to you, too. I tend to sleep late and I don't know why." Train's stomach rumbled at that moment, breaking the peaceful silence.

"I guess your stomach's telling you that it's time to eat," Saya said.

"Yeah," Train agreed before rolling out of bed and walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. "What's for breakfast today?" he asked Sven.

"Toast, eggs, and possibly pancakes." Sven said through his cigarette. _Sven has to stop smoking,_ Train thought. While eating his breakfast, he thought of ways to get Sven to stop, or at least cut down on, smoking. By the time he was dressed, he had an idea.

"I'm going out for a few. Does anyone need anything?" No one needed anything, so Train went out and bought Sven some nicotine patches. _He might not wear them, but it'll show him that we care about him and his health, too. Since he always takes care of us, why shouldn't we take care of him in return?_ After Train bid the store manager goodbye, he hopped in the car and drove to the apartment.

He walked in and said, "I'm back!" He placed the nicotine patches on the table and grabbed a bottle of milk from the refrigerator. Saya came over and asked in a quiet voice, "Nicotine patches? What made you buy these?"

Train replied in an equally quiet voice, "I want Sven to stop smoking. His health is in danger right now, and I'm restless at night because I'm worried that Sven might have a heart attack or stroke or something related to smoking and then leave us." He continued in a more normal tone, "Besides, he takes care of us all the time, so why shouldn't we take care of him, too?"

"True," Saya said, then returned to her book that she was reading.

"You guys went to the library? When did you go?"

"While you were gone. We picked something up for you, too." Saya went over to the counter, picked up James Patterson's _Cross Country_, and showed it to Train. Train stared blankly for a few seconds before saying, "Thanks." Saya handed him the book and Train took it, reading the summary and then flipping to the first chapter.

A few minutes later, when Eve was taking a shower and Saya was cleaning up Sven and Eve's room, Sven put down his newspaper and asked Train, "What would Chronos say about this?"

"What would Chronos say about what?"

"If Chronos found out about your growing relationship with Saya, what would they say?"

"They probably wouldn't do anything about it since I'm not a part of them anymore."

Later, Train and Saya went out to explore the town and have a day with each other. As luck would have it, Duke Anlagen, a spy for Chronos, had spotted Train with Saya and had reported back to Chronos, saying that he had seen Train.

"He seems to have a new interest in this friend of his," Belze told Sephiria. "This is the girl that was killed by Creed Diskenth and then was brought back to life, right?"

"Yes, she is. It's amazing how relationships can grow and develop within such a short time."

"Looks like Train's found himself a girl," Jenos muttered to himself after hearing the news.

"What was that, Jenos?" Belze asked the number suspiciously.

"What?" Jenos said to Belze. After laughing in an embarrassed fashion, he said, "Oh, you know, I was just talking to myself for a second." Belze groaned quietly and Jenos continued walking, hoping that Belze hadn't heard him.

"No wonder why Heartnet looks at her that way," Anubis muttered as he exited the room where Chronos talked to the elders. Sephiria had assigned Jenos a solo mission—bring Train back to Chronos and ask him to confirm or deny the relationship between him and Saya.

"This is not going to be easy, Sephiria," Shao Lee warned.

"I know. However, he is usually pretty laid-back, so he will most likely answer without us having to use any type of force."

Jenos hoped for the sake of the mission that Train would be willing to give the Elders the answers that they wanted.

Train and Saya were sitting on the edge of a water fountain when they started talking. A few minutes passed and then Train got up to stretch. However, Saya had the brief thought that he was leaving, so she pulled him down to stop him. Train lost his balance and fell in the water fountain, and because Saya had a hold of Train's jacket, she fell in, too. They both came up and gasped for air. Train was the first one to start laughing and was soon joined by Saya.

"That was fun!"

"Yeah, it kind of was." Saya brushed the hair away from her eyes.

"Want to fall again?"

"No! I don't want to get even wetter than I already am!"

"I didn't realize that that would happen!"

"Expect the unexpected, Train!" Saya said while getting up and offering her hand to Train.

Train took Saya's hand and pulled her out of the water fountain. He then suggested that they go to the apartment and change their clothes because they were drenched. After going to the apartment and changing their clothes, Train studied Saya's outfit. It was a yukata, but it had stars as the design.

Train's outfit was just his regular black pants with a green sweater and white shirt underneath it. "So," he said, "Are you ready to go back?"

They had made it back there in time to see Jenos strolling towards them nonchalantly.

"Jenos? What are you doing here?" Train asked the number.

"Sephiria wants to see the two of you," Jenos said, his green hair shining in the sunlight.

"Again? Didn't she just see us a little while ago, though?" Saya asked.

"Yeah. She wants to know what's going on between you two."

_That's Sephiria, poking her nose in people's business,_ Train thought with a small sigh. "We'll come," he said as he motioned to Saya to follow him. They went to Chronos's headquarters together and Train saw Sephiria waiting for him.

"Greetings, Heartnet and Minatsuki." She turned to the Elders and said, "They have come like you wanted them to."

"Good," Willzark said.

"I heard that there is something going on between you two," Sephiria said to Train and Saya. "Do you want to elaborate on this?"

"It's nothing special," Train said. Sephiria looked at him, knowing that there was more to their relationship than what Train said. She could see it in his eyes. Train sighed after a few seconds and closed his eyes. "All right, it's a little more than that. We're just friends, that's all." Sephiria didn't believe him. She shot him a disbelieving look.

"It's true," Train said. If he went any further, he would have to confess his feelings for Saya, and he felt that this was not the place to do it. He would tell her at a better time when it was just the two of them, not them and all of Chronos watching. "If you don't believe me, ask Saya."

"Train's not lying," Saya said, "and neither am I."

Sephiria nodded. She had been assured by both Train and Saya that there was nothing more going between them than friendship. One part of her wasn't satisfied, but they were obviously uncomfortable with being there and discussing their feelings. Sephiria dismissed them. They were on their way toward the hotel where they were staying at when they caught a glimpse of a man with green eyes, brown hair, and glasses.


	17. The Return of Lloyd Goldwynne

Time stopped for a few seconds and the man approached Train and Saya. "Hi," he said. "I'm Lloyd Goldwynne. Is Sven Vollfied here?"

Train remembered Rinslet telling him about Sven's past. Was this the Lloyd Goldwynne that she had talked about? He also remembered that Lloyd had given Sven his right eye. "No, but I can tell you where he is," Train said.

"You can? Thanks! I'd appreciate it." Lloyd followed Train and Saya to their apartment.

"Sven, we're back!" Train said.

"Oh," Sven said and stared when he realized who the man was. After a few moments of an extremely awkward silence, Sven said, "Lloyd!"

"Sven!" The two men embraced each other, which caused Train to shudder. Eve looked up from the book that she was reading and Saya stood beside Train. Train glanced at her and blushed due to sudden romantic feelings. Saya also blushed due to sudden butterflies in her stomach.

Lloyd looked at Saya and Train, and then said, "Looks like we've got some lovebirds here!"

Saya and Train were surprised by Lloyd's comment. They blushed deeper and said in unison, "We're not lovebirds!"

"It seems like it to me," Lloyd said. When he noticed that Saya and Train were fuming silently, he added after laughing, "It was just an observation, that's all!"

"Some observation that was," Train muttered to himself. Saya agreed wholeheartedly.

Sven and Lloyd told Train, Eve, and Saya stories about when they were in the IBI. Lloyd went on to mention his death. Sven was silent throughout that part. Train noticed that he had a distant look in his eyes as Lloyd spoke. Sympathy for Sven filled Train's heart. Train always remembered Saya's death whenever he saw or heard about fireworks.

Saya noticed the sympathetic look in Train's eyes and put her hand on his before she could stop herself. It was a gesture of friendship, a gesture that told Train that she was there for him, no matter what, and that everything was going to be okay. Train wished that he could say the same, that he could agree with her and know that deep within his heart, everything would be okay, but he couldn't. He felt that one more thing had to happen before he could agree with her, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Just thinking about the whole concept scared and fascinated Train at the same time. He felt something strong and powerful waiting in the depths of his heart waiting to be unleashed, like a wildcat waiting to be released from its cage, and he suspected that whatever it was, that was the thing that had to happen. It lurked in the shadows, waiting to leap when Train least expected it. Train tried to locate it and find out what it was, but his attempts were in vain.

"Train?" Train blinked, and he was brought back to reality.

"Yeah?" His body was brought back to reality, but his mind wasn't fully there yet. He still felt dazed from looking at his heart.

"You were staring into space a million light years away."

"I was?" Train laughed, trying to get his mind back into the present.

"Yeah, you were."

"Oh."

"What were you thinking about?" Saya asked Train, whose mind fully came back to the present after hearing her soft, kind voice.

"Nothing." It was almost automatic for Train to say that.

"Liar," Rinslet accused. She had rented the room next door and decided to pay Sven, Train, Eve, Saya, and Lloyd a visit.

"Come on, spill!" Lloyd said a little too cheerfully for Train's liking.

"Please do," Eve said while looking up from her book about progressing feelings.

"Okay, okay. I was just thinking about..." Train's voice trailed off as he paused. "Oh, look at the time!" he said, trying to change the subject but failing miserably. Saya, Sven, Rinslet, and Eve knew that Train was uncomfortable about telling them what they wanted to know, but their curiosities got the better of them.

"Tell us the truth, Train," Sven said. "I know that you want to tell us, but you're too embarrassed to say it."

"Okay, fine. I... I think..." Train then paused, motioning for Saya to leave the room. She didn't budge. Train sighed quietly and then said, "It's not the right time to say what I have to say, but I'll tell you what I was doing when I was spacing out."

"Well?" Sven looked at Train expectantly.

"I was doing some heart-searching."

"Heart-searching?!" The words came out of Saya's, Eve's, Sven's, Lloyd's, and Rinslet's mouths with total surprise.

"Yeah," Train said. "What's wrong with that?" When no one answered, he continued, "You guys act like it's the end of the world if I do anything that involves emotion. Like if I told you guys that I—" He cut himself off as he realized that he was about to confess his feelings for Saya.

"That you what?" Sven asked.

"Never mind," Train said.

"Tell us, Train," Sven pressed.

"I'd like to wait a little longer before I say what I'd like to say, if you don't mind."

When Lloyd and everyone else were out taking Lloyd shopping for clothes, Train booted up the computer that they had brought with them and opened a new Word document. He started typing, letting his heart do the talking.

_I don't really know what this will become, but for right now, it's a confession._

_I like Saya, but it seemed as if Sven, Eve, Rinslet and Lloyd were pushing me to tell them what I thought about her. Why do they always get shocked when I say or do something that involves emotion?_

He stared at the computer, pondering what he had written. Sven, Eve, Rinslet, Saya, and Lloyd came home. Train then closed out of the document, shut the computer down, and then went into his room. He wanted to go back to Braccio City to see the fireworks again. At that moment, Sven came into Train's room and said, "Train, look outside your window!"

"Wow," Train muttered to himself as a red firework lit the sky. He remembered Saya lying in the back alley, her yukata wet with blood as she lay dying in his arms. He remembered her last smile and the lone tear that had streaked down her cheek that he had desperately wanted to wipe away.

"Train, there's a better view of the fireworks on the rooftop," Saya said while handing Train a bottle of peach-flavored ramune.

"Where'd you get this?"

"We picked some up while we were gone," Saya said. "Come on. Let's go. It'll just be me, you, and the fireworks." There was something about her voice that made Train want to follow her without a second thought.

Train was eager for some one-on-one time with Saya, and he felt his heart stop beating for a second as Saya took his hand and held it all the way to the rooftop. She then sat next to him and he drew her into his lap. Saya sat there, feeling warm and content. Train wrapped his arms around her waist and she snuggled in deeper, feeling comforted by Train's warmth. Train sighed as a blue firework lit the sky.

Train and Saya went inside and fell asleep when the fireworks were done.

-

At nine o'clock in the morning, Saya noticed that Train was still asleep. She quickly glanced at him and then got up as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb him. She knew that he was a light sleeper, and one golden eye cracked open at the sound of Saya getting up. She looked back at him, smiled slightly, and then left the room. Train lay there, both eyes now open, pondering whether or not to get up. He smiled randomly, then got up out of bed and joined Saya in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Train," Saya said happily as she took a swig of her milk.

"Good morning to you, too," Train said while getting a bottle of milk out of the fridge. He felt refreshed and ready for some action. He had heard that the Sweeper's Alliance was meeting in the town hall today. He wanted to go there and catch up with them. With a glance at Saya, he thought,_ Maybe she could join them, too._

Saya noticed that Train was staring at her absentmindedly and met his gaze. Train quickly blushed and looked away, disappointed that Saya had noticed him.

Sven came into the kitchen and said to Train, "Did you know that the Sweeper's Alliance is holding a meeting today at noon in the town hall?"

"Yup," Train said. "And I was planning on bringing Saya with me, if you guys don't mind."

"Nope," Sven said. "Besides, I think that we could use another sweeper." Throughout all of this, Train couldn't help but think that Saya looked kind of cute with a confused look on her face.

After chugging his milk, he sat down and explained everything to Saya. Sven made a few comments of his own at appropriate times but otherwise let Train tell the story.

Saya's previous look of confusion was replaced by a look of understanding.

After Train took his usual ten minute shower, he ran into his room, closed the blinds at a breakneck speed, and threw on his clothes so fast it would send your head spinning.

He walked out of the room at a leisurely pace and hung his towel up in the bathroom. "I'm done," he said. Saya then took two towels and shut the bathroom door behind her. Train picked up James Patterson's _Cross Country_ and started reading.

Sven came in and sat next to Train's right. "How's that going so far?"

"Good." Train flipped the page.

"I can see that," Sven muttered as he opened the newspaper.

Eve came in and sat down to Train's left. Train glanced over and saw the title of the book.

"_Grey's Anatomy_? Princess, are you sure that you want to read about, well, anatomy?"

"I find it interesting."

_What_ don't_ you find interesting?_ Train thought as he sweatdropped and went back to reading. Train glanced up and saw that Saya was clad in a towel. He blushed and quickly averted his gaze due to modesty.

"Where's Lloyd?" Train asked Sven.

"He went to wherever his wife and daughter are. I can't remember the name of the town," Sven said.

"So what you're trying to say is that he ditched us," Train summed up.

"Yup."

Train sighed. "I feel so loved right now." Sarcasm was evident in his voice.

"I do, too." Sven's voice was thick was sarcasm.

"We can all feel the love," Eve added, also using sarcasm.

"Well, it looks as if we're ready to go to the meeting," Saya said as she sat next to Eve. She was the only one not to use sarcasm due to Lloyd's departure from the group.

"Yup," Train said while putting down his book after one last glance at the page.

"We should probably get going soon. Eve, did you shower yet?"

"Yes. Did you, Sven?"

"Yup. Train?"

"Did that."

"I just got out, so we're all done," Saya said.

"Right," Train said. "Let's go see the Sweeper's Alliance!" Saya dried her hair so fast you would think, "Did she just dry her hair?" The bright sunlight greeted the four sweepers as they walked out of the house and made their way to the town hall.


	18. The Sweeper's Alliance Meets Again

**A/N: Slight spoilers from Volume 17 are in this chapter. To all of my lovely readers and reviewers out there, I thank you for supporting me and continuing to read my story. I hope that I will hear from you all in future chapters. Until then, happy reading! The next few chapters will be written from the character's point of views, starting with Train's.**

-

Train was excited to see the members of the Sweeper's Alliance again. It had been seven months since he had last seen them, and he ran through a mental list of their names and faces to refresh his memory. Train sucked in a breath of fresh air and let it out quietly. They were still in the Adonian Sea, and the smell of salt air was starting to grow on him.

Once they were there, Train saw Kevin McDougall and shouted, "Kevin!"

Kevin turned around and somehow ended up getting Train's foot smashed into his face.

"Kevin!" Eve shouted as Kevin went sprawling.

"Ow!" Kevin muttered as he righted himself. "Criminy! You don't hold back, do you?"

"Heh! Sorry about that," Train said.

Kevin doubted that Train was sorry in the back of his mind, but accepted Train's apology anyway.

Silphy stifled a giggle and Gallom laughed out loud. Lacdoll stared blankly, unsure of what event had just occurred. Sven blinked a few times before laughing, and Eve was asking Kevin if he was okay. Saya was shocked that Train had actually kicked Kevin in the face, and she pulled him aside and asked, "How hard did you hit him?"

"Not hard," Train said.

Saya nodded. "What will they say when they know that I'm going to be a new member?"

"Don't worry about that," Train said while sliding his hand around Saya's. "I'll take care of it."

Saya nodded and realized that Train had his hand in her hand, but didn't take it out. She enjoyed Train's warmth. Mundock noticed this and decided to say, "Hey, who's this young lady?"

Train didn't take his hand out of Saya's and said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet the newest member of the Sweeper's Alliance." He looked at Saya in a kind manner as if to say, "Well? Aren't you going to say hi?"

"Hi," Saya said. "I'm Saya Minatsuki. Nice to meet you all."

Kevin nodded. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Kevin McDougall."

Train gave Saya a look that said, "See? What did I tell you? With the way this went, they'd probably accept you even if I wasn't here."

Saya replied with a glance that said, "Yeah, right. They're probably saying that just so that you won't be mad at them."

Train just grinned warmly.

"Welcome, Ms. Minatsuki," Toma Fodou said.

River said, "We're glad to have you here." He went on to introduce everyone.

"I'm proud to be a part of you guys," Saya said.

River suggested that they should all go to the local pub and get something to eat. Once they went there and were seated, they started telling each other what happened while they were apart for the six months. When it was Train's turn to tell the other anxious sweepers what had been going on, he said, "Well, not much has happened."

"Come on!" Kevin said. "There has to be more than that!"

Train sighed quietly before saying, "Well…" He went on to describe how Saya and Lloyd had come back to life. He concluded with saying, "So that's what's happened so far—well, up until now, that is."

After two hours of casual talking, the sweepers left, happy to see one another again. Train, Sven, Saya and Eve stayed for a little while longer to help Tanya clean up the mess.

"Brother!" Woodney exclaimed as he busted into the pub.

_Oh, crap,_ Train thought as he was engulfed in Woodney's embrace.

"Let go of me!" Train said while futilely squirming and trying to get out of Woodney's strong grasp. Train shot Woodney mental missiles, hoping that they would work but doubting their success at the same time. Woodney finally complied with Train's missiles and let Train go.

"Man, have I got a job for you guys!" Woodney said.


	19. The Banquet

***~*Train's P.O.V.*~***

I was sitting in Sven's car, looking back on the events that had occurred.

**FLASHBACK**

"Man, have I got a job for you guys!" Woodney said.

_Uh-oh. Here it comes,_ I thought with dread.

"There's a banquet that some woman wants you to attend. What's her name? Oh yeah! It's some Sierra Lynwood lady!"

"Sierra Lynwood? Who's she?" I asked, utterly confused.

"She's the manager of the Chat Du Jaime hotel. It's in the next city, and that's about an hour or so away."

"Oh. So that's not that bad."

"Nope."

"Do you know why she wants us to come?"

"It's a sweepers only banquet. She knew that you guys were sweepers, so she invited you."

_She sounds like a stalker._ "Will you come with us?"

"Nope! I'll be checking in with the ladies."

I sweatdropped at the mental image of Woodney at a club, hanging around some twenty-odd year-old women. That scared and disgusted me at the same time. Here was this overweight, not-too-attractive, middle-aged man at a club with young people. I was suddenly glad to be going to the banquet.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

I was planning on wearing the same outfit that I wore the last time I went to a banquet. Speaking of last time, the last time we got up close with someone, it was Madame Freesia; we (Rinslet, Woodney, Eve and I) had to go in the sewer looking for her precious little Flora! Of course, Flora turned out to be this huge man-eating Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Anyways, I was getting off track. After a few more boring questions, Woodney left before we did. We then went back to our apartment, changed, and hopped in Sven's car. So here we were, dressed in our nice outfits, driving to Sierra Lynwood's banquet. Saya had somehow managed to get a ride via taxi and was waiting for us there. I was worried about her—what happened if some random psycho kidnapped her? Then we'd have to go looking for her, which I wouldn't mind doing.

Sven parked in the spot closest to the banquet doors.

"Are you coming in?" I asked.

"No," Sven said. "I stayed up late last night making more special bullets."

"Oh. What about you, Princess?"

"I have already seen a banquet. I also do not want to get involved with another possible dinosaur incident."

"Keep in touch, though," Sven said.

"Sure," I replied while putting my hand on the latch of the car door. "I'll call you guys to make sure that you're okay."

"Sure" was all Sven said as I got out of the car.

I walked into the lobby and saw Saya standing there. Man, she was _beautiful_! I could feel my heart and pulse speed up as I started to sweat lightly. She was dressed in a red spaghetti-strapped dress that went a little past her ankles. It fit around her body perfectly, accenting it in all the right places. She wore platforms and had her gun in a little purse. A small red shawl was wrapped around her shoulders.

"You look nice," I said as I approached her.

She turned around and her blue eyes met mine. "Thanks," she said while blushing lightly. I could feel her gaze take in my outfit. "You look nice, too."

I smiled. "Shall we go in?"

"Yes. Let's," she said as she took me by the arm and led me to the ballroom. Many people were standing around to the side of the ballroom floor, talking and sharing drinks with one another. _There's bound to be someone who's plastered in here,_ I thought. To my surprise, there was no one that was obviously drunk. Or not, I thought while relaxing my surprisingly tense muscles. Saya still had her arm around mine, and I was thoroughly enjoying the warmth that she was giving me. I looked around the room and observed my surroundings.

The ballroom floor was made of wood and it shone with polish. _This one's kind of like the one that I went to with Joe Noresburg._ The walls were a pale blue, and the carpet around the wooden floor was a dark blue. White tables were set up with plates and had vases of flowers in the center of each one. A chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling, and a wooden podium was at the front of the room.

A few minutes later, Sierra Lynwood came out. She had red hair that was tied into a neat bun with brown eyes that contrasted her pale skin. Her black spaghetti-strapped dress and high-heels made a few men swoon quietly. I snorted. _Idiots, swooning over a woman like that. Then again, I lose my breath every time I see Saya, so who am I to talk?_

I took Saya's hand and asked, "Shall we dance?" She smiled and allowed me to lead her out into the center of the ballroom floor. I put my left hand around her waist and my right hand clasped her left one while her right hand went around my shoulder. I realized how close we were and my heart entered a state of pure, innocent bliss. I could see that Saya's heart had entered the same state, as she made no move to pull away as I pulled her a little closer to my body. I then lost myself in her eyes. My mind's eye made me think that it was just us, dancing in a hotel ballroom.

A few minutes later, a racket came from outside the ballroom. My ears caught a few curses among shouts of, "Stupid girl!" and, "Who in their right mind would try to open that door? That could've killed us all!" The shouts were gone as fast as they had come, and everyone around the room, including us, was staring at the ballroom doors, tense, confused, and waiting for someone to burst in.

Hades shifted in the folds of my suit as I turned to look at Saya. My tie was really starting to bug me, and I was hoping to get it off soon. I wasn't a big fan of ties, and I was glad that I didn't have to wear one while I was with Chronos.

Saya looked at me with concern and asked, "What was that about?"

"I have no clue," I responded.

"Do you think that it was Rinslet?" she whispered in my ear.

"No," I said. I doubted that Rinslet would come to this place. In the back of my mind, I wondered what had gone on in the hallway.

One of the guards came in and said, "It's all right, folks. Just go back to whatever you were doing. The suspect is not lethal."

_Suspect._ The word made the hairs on my neck stand on end. However, a few minutes later the people acted as if nothing had happened, and everyone chatted while dancing.

I twirled Saya around and we went back to our previous position.

"We have to do this more often," she said. I nodded in agreement.

"We sure do." It was her turn to twirl me around.

"I think that we're the only ones that are twirling each other," Saya said.

A few minutes later, the song changed, and I waltzed with Saya. "I wonder what Sven and Eve are doing," I said.

Saya replied, "Probably hanging out in the car."

I said, "That sounds boring."

"Mmh" was all that Saya said before edging a little closer to me. I didn't mind.

We waltzed for a few more minutes before the music stopped. Sierra came out and announced that it was time to show us her latest replication, named Josie.

_Just like Madame Freesia,_ I thought. Déjà vu hit me as we all crowded around a large cage.

A few yawns came and people tensed. A large saber-toothed cat emerged from the shadows, and it looked tired and drugged. After looking around in a bored manner, it curled up and fell asleep.

I stared at it and then looked at Saya.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Just a little tense, that's all," she replied. I looked in her eyes and saw a little fear in them. I had the strong urge to hug her, but all I did was put my arm around her shoulders. Hugging someone in public would be a little strange.

Sierra dismissed us and we continued to dance for a little bit. By the end of the third song, people were starting to get tipsy, and we didn't feel like being around drunken sweepers. You didn't know what could happen with ordinary drunken people, but drunken sweepers were a totally different story.

I led Saya out of the hotel and knocked on the window. Sven woke up, and he unlocked the car doors for us. I helped Saya in, and much to my slight dismay, Sven's chivalry was kind of starting to rub off on me. I climbed into my seat and Eve asked me, "What happened?"

"Nothing much," I replied.

"Was it like another Madame Freesia?" Sven asked while turning the key in the ignition. The car engine roared to life.

"Kind of," I said as the car started to roll forward. "We danced and she showed us her saber-toothed cat."

"A Smilodon," Eve said, using the scientific name. "Did it wreak havoc?"

"No, thank God." I said, remembering Flora's appetite. I was glad that Josie hadn't escaped—she probably could've killed a few people. She was only 41 inches tall, but she could've jumped on any of us if she was hungry enough.

"What time is it?" Saya asked Sven.

"It's four o'clock," Sven said.

"When does the sun set? I was planning on having some sort of picnic thing." I blurted out. I surprised myself by asking that, and I earned elated looks from Saya and Eve for it.

"Oh," Saya said. _Little does she know…_ I thought slyly. I was planning on watching the sunset with her.

"What's that look for, Train?" Eve asked.

I decided to play dumb. "What's what look for, Princess?"

Eve glared at me and turned away. Saya's left hand absentmindedly crawled toward mine, and I put my right hand over hers.

"I think it sets at five," Sven said. It only took us half an hour to get back to the hotel because there was hardly any traffic. Once we were there, I quickly threw a few sandwiches in a bag and led Sven, Eve, and Saya to the nearest park. We put a tattered blanket on the ground and sat on it.

"This is nice," Eve said.

"It sure is," I agreed.

"Thanks for taking us here, Train," Saya said.

"No problem," I said. Rinslet drove by and joined us.

"Here's your cookie, Train," she said while handing me my long-awaited for chocolate-chip cookie.

"Rins, I love you!" When I noticed the looks that Sven, Eve, Saya, and Rins were giving me, I quickly said, "Uh, not in that way. I meant that I love you in a friendly way for getting me my cookie." I sighed, seeing that it was hopeless. "Never mind."

Saya suddenly gasped and said, "Look! The sun's setting!"

The sun made everything look as if it was on fire. Orange spilled over everything and the sky was tinted with pinks, oranges, reds, and yellows of every shade imaginable. I felt Saya looking into my eyes and I met her gaze. I proceeded to lose myself in her gaze, captivated by her beauty….

…And that was when I noticed that my lips were only an inch or two away from her cheek.

I quickly pulled back from a surge of adrenaline. She had the same look of shock written on her face as I did. Sven, Eve, and Rinslet stared at us with blank looks on their faces.

"Heh," I said, embarrassed by the fact that I had almost—_Almost!_ My brain said—kissed Saya's cheek in front of them. I could feel my feelings growing stronger for Saya with each passing day. Even though it had only been twelve days since she had come back alive, I couldn't help but watch as my feelings grew.

Saya blushed and said, "It'll be getting dark soon. We should go home."

"Yeah. That seems like a good idea," I said.

"See you soon, Rins," Eve said as we packed up and got into our car.

"Sure," Rins said as she got into her car.

We drove home and quickly fell asleep. I felt Saya toss and turn in her sleep. I was watching her because I couldn't sleep and I gently shook her awake.

"Saya," I whispered. "Saya!"

"Train… Don't leave me…" she muttered.

"Saya, wake up!" I said. "It's only a dream." I shook her a little harder.

"What is it, Train?" Saya asked drowsily, now awake due to my shaking her.

"You were talking in your sleep," I said.

"Oh."

"I know that you already told me this, but how did your spirit bring you back to life?"

"I saw my body lying there, dead and bloody. My spirit then went back inside me and filled me with energy."

"Did it say anything besides what you told us earlier?"

"Yes. It said, 'The one who is closest to you will become even closer, and you will find happiness with him.'"

"Mmh," I said while pulling her close. When she tensed slightly, I said, "It's okay. As long as you're with me, I won't let your nightmares scare you."

She relaxed and snuggled in to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and refused to let go for the whole night.

-

I woke to the sun's rays and felt Saya's arms wrapped around my neck. I didn't move for a few seconds until Saya pulled her head back from where it was on my chest and she said, "Good morning, Train."

"Good morning, Saya," I said. "Did you get a good sleep last night?"

"Yes. Did you?"

"Yup." I grinned slightly.

"Thanks for taking me to see the sunset," Saya said.

"Anytime," I said.

She blushed before continuing. "Even though you almost kissed my cheek…."

"I thought I felt myself leaning forward," I said. "Um… This is kind of random, but… If I told you that I liked you, what would you do?"_ Please say yes! Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!_

"I would say yes," Saya said. Ecstasy shot through me as I heard her answer. "What would you do if I told you that I liked you?"

"I would also say yes." I could see the same ecstasy that had shot through me shoot through her.

"It's settled, then. Oh, and before I leave…" She pecked me on the cheek. "I suppose that that was what our hearts were aiming for last night," she said.

I touched my cheek in awe as she left the room. I was certain of her feelings for me now. All we had to do was tell Sven, Eve, and Rinslet. My heart soared and feelings for Saya blossomed inside it. A blush crept over my cheeks, but I didn't care. I liked Saya and she liked me, and nothing could change that.

I left the room a few minutes later and said, "Good morning, Sven. Good morning, Princess." When I noticed the book that Eve was reading, I said, "Reading up on kissing, are you, Princess?"

"Yes," Eve said. "You almost kissed Saya's cheek last night." _And she kissed my cheek this morning, _I thought.

"What happened last night? All of a sudden you nearly pecked Saya's cheek in front of us."

"I'm not sure what came over me," I said.

"Ooh, it's a watermelon!" Saya said after Sven placed a watermelon on the table.

"Saya, wait! Don't touch that! It's a bomb!" I remembered getting blown up by one of Sven's watermelon bombs.

"It's a bomb?!" she asked, incredulous.

"Yeah," I said. She stepped away from the watermelon bomb and sat on the couch. I sat next to her and put my arm around her waist.

_This is nice,_ I thought while relaxing and settling in to the couch. I spaced out for a little bit, thinking back on last night's events. A little while later, Saya had showered. She was just about to go out the door to go to the supermarket when I pecked her on the cheek so fast that I wasn't even sure that I did it. She registered what I did and blushed deeply.

She smiled and left.

I couldn't stop smiling and thinking about her as she drove away in the car. I felt my heart lurch slightly into a new state—the state between friendship, like, and love all mixed together.


	20. Ice Skating & Saya's Confession to Train

***~*Eve's P.O.V.*~***

I saw Train's eyes glaze over as he watched Saya leave. I made a mental note to ask him about what he was feeling. I was curious and wanted to know what the beginning stages of love felt like. Train sat down next to me and stared into space. "Train?" I asked him.

"Yeah?" he asked, startled out of his reverie.

"Your relationship is deeper now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Princess. It is."

"On a romantic level?" I asked. I had seen him peck Saya on the cheek. I decided not to mention it because then he would freak out.

"Yeah," he said, that quiet yet emotional voice coming into play again. I showed him the page on the meanings of kisses. The meaning of pecking on the cheek caught his eye.

"Huh," he muttered. Sven came in and he sat next to me. Train then got into the shower.

"Train definitely likes Saya," I said.

"Did they do anything?"

"He just pecked Saya's cheek, that's all."

Saya came back just then.

"That was short," Sven said.

"I only needed a few things," she said as she put the bag on the table and started to take the groceries out. The phone rang and I was about to make my hair transform into hands to grab it, but Saya beat me to it.

"Hello?" she asked. "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong number." She hung up on the person after saying goodbye.

"Who was that?" Sven asked.

"Some random weirdo looking for some Jacqueline Davidson woman," Saya explained.

"Oh," Sven said. Just then, the bathroom door opened and Train came out with a long-sleeved navy shirt on and his regular black pants.

Saya had come into the family room and she sat next to me. Train sat down a few minutes later.

Night soon fell, and Train wanted to go ice skating. We all changed and drove over to the nearest ice-skating rink, Chill Out. After renting our skates and heading out to the rink, Saya and Sven clung to the walls while Train and I skated out in the middle. Train skated over to Saya, took her hand, and led her out into the middle of the rink.

Train let her go slowly to let her gain confidence, then started to go faster. She kept up with him well until she stumbled. Train caught her and smiled, then helped her regain her balance and continued skating. The Proclaimer's I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) started playing.

_When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be,  
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next you  
When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you  
If I get drunk, well I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you  
And if I haver, Yeah I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you_

_But I would walk 500 miles  
And I would walk 500 more  
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles  
To fall down at your door_

_When I'm working, yes I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you  
And when the money, comes in for the work I do  
I'll pass almost every penny on to you  
When I come home (When I come home), well I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you  
And if I grow old, (When I grow old) well I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you_

_But I would walk 500 miles  
And I would walk 500 more  
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles  
To fall down at your door_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da_

_When I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you  
And when I'm dreaming, well I know I'm gonna dream  
I'm gonna Dream about the time when I'm with you  
When I go out (When I go out), well I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you  
And when I come home (When I come home), yes I know I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you  
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home with you_

_But I would walk 500 miles  
And I would walk 500 more  
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles  
To fall down at your door_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da_

_da da da (da da da)  
da da da (da da da)_

_Da Da Da Dun Diddle Un Diddle Un Diddle Uh Da  
And I would walk 500 miles  
And I would walk 500 more  
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles  
To fall down at your door_

After that song, we were all cold, so we left the rink and made some hot chocolate in the apartment. Train and Saya curled up next to each other and Sven and I sat a few inches apart. I wondered about many things, but I mostly wondered about Train and Saya.

I burned my tongue on the hot chocolate, but it went away in a few minutes. _I just killed my taste buds. I'm sorry, taste buds. You served me well._

I sipped more of the hot chocolate, killing more taste buds with each sip. I got a mini marshmallow and dunked it in the hot chocolate. The combination was wonderful, so I put a handful of mini marshmallows in my cup and savored the taste.

"What's that you've got in your cup, Princess?" Train asked me.

"Mini marshmallows," I said.

"That sounds good," Saya said. She then went and took a few mini marshmallows and put them in her cup. Train did the same thing after her.

Sven probably felt like the odd one out, so I went and got a handful for him, then put some in his cup.

"Thanks, Eve," Sven said.

"Man, Princess! This is really good!"

"It sure is," Sven said after finishing his hot chocolate.

Just then, Lou Bega's Mambo Number Five came on. We started dancing to it. Train twirled and dipped Saya while Sven twirled and dipped me. Saya then twirled me while laughing.

I could see why Train had such strong feelings for her—not only was she beautiful, she was a kind person who was loveable, and I thought that he had chosen an exceptional person to fall for. Saya was notches above any other woman I'd seen, and I'd seen plenty of women try to flirt with Train. He had rebuked them all, and each time he did I got the vague feeling that his heart was holding out for that one special person, the one that would capture his heart and treat it well. That person was Saya.

Afterwards, I retired to the couch to read my book on how to comfort someone you liked.

The phone rang again, and Saya beat me to it once more.

"Hi," she said. "Mom?! Dad?! Is that you? I haven't seen you guys in so long! How are you?"

"She seems excited," Train said.

"Train?" I asked him.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to me.

"Bye," Saya said before hanging up.

"That was fast," Train said.

"Yeah. They had to go," Saya said as she sat down next to Train.

"You look like you've got something to get off your chest."

"Yeah. Follow me." Train followed her to their bedroom. A few minutes later, I heard a choked sob.

"Is she okay?" Sven asked me.

"No," I said. Saya must've told Train something upsetting. I could imagine Train comforting her. He had a compassionate side when it came to women and children, but it was probably stronger because Saya was the one who he was dealing with.

"It's okay, Saya," I heard him say in a soothing voice. That was Train, trying to help in any way he could. I was glad for the change as a sweeper—the kindness that Saya had instilled in him was now coming back to her through him. What goes around, comes around, I thought, remembering the famous quote.

I continued reading my book. I planned on making Train read it after he was done comforting Saya.


	21. Saving Train Again

***~*Saya's P.O.V.*~***

I curled into Train and he rubbed my shoulder with his left hand. I finally had the opportunity to let my emotions go over my past, and it felt good to let it all hang out. I looked up at Train with sad eyes, and he looked back at me with compassion. I thought about how close we were, and my heart sunk into a state of friendship, like, and love all mixed together. I could tell that Train felt the same for me—I could see it in his big, beautiful eyes. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, emotionally drained from the quick crying session that I had had. I felt Train's warmth seep into me, and I relished every bit of it. His heartbeat was the loudest thing that I heard.

I felt him put his arms around me and I sighed quietly. The silence spoke for us.

Just then, Eve came in, causing me to wake up and look at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay, Saya?" she asked. I knew that I looked like crap.

"No, Eve," I said, my voice odd from my stuffed nose.

Train asked me, "Do you want to tell them?"

Confusion struck me. "About what?" I asked him.

"You know," he whispered. "That."

_Oh, that. Well, I guess so…_ I left the room and he followed me. I sat down on the couch and cleared my throat.

"There's something that we'd like to tell you," I began.

Train said. "We like each other."

"Like that's a surprise," Sven said blatantly. Eve said nothing but looked at us with I-figured-something-was-up-between-you-two-besides-friendship-since-day-one written in her eyes.

I figured that Sven knew that something was up between us. Eve probably knew, too. Later, Train heard that there was a bounty in Elsida, so we packed up and drove there. It only took us two hours to get there, which I was happy about. When we got there and rented our apartment, I dragged Train to some thrift shops and bought some stuff for him, and he looked pretty awesome in it!

He bought a pair of gloves ("For the winter," he said after I had asked him about it), a few shirts of assorted sizes, and some new pairs of jeans. I opened the door to our apartment and shouted, "We're home!"

Train said, "Thanks, Saya."

"You're welcome. I'll have to take you out to lunch now."

Train blushed before saying, "Are you sure?" I nodded and smiled.

"Hey, Sven?" Train asked, beginning to ask for permission to go out to lunch with me.

"Go ahead. See you later," Sven answered.

Train smiled at me and we left. We ended up going to a mediocre place called Mustang. It was fancy in its own way. There were small chandeliers hanging above every table, and the restaurant was a deep, almost seductive and passionate red. A black-haired, ice-blue-eyed waitress named Cornelia seated us.

"How may I help you tonight?" she asked, looking us over. She told us the specials on the menu and we found one that we liked. It was for two, so that was romantic in its own way. _Another date with Train!_ I thought excitedly. _Man! How good can this get?! Just me and him at this romantic restaurant!_

"Saya, she's talking to you!" Train said, his voice cutting through my thoughts.

"Whoops! Sorry! I'd like some milk, too," I said, embarrassed.

"That's okay. You two look like you're on one of your first dates together. It's awkward at first, but it'll get easier." She winked at us. "Take it from me. As for your orders, I'll be back with them in a second."

"Are you okay?" Train asked me with concern in his voice. "You totally spaced out back there."

"Yeah," I said.

"You were thinking about us being on this date, weren't you?" he asked me.

"Yeah." I blushed deeply, and I was suddenly glad that the room was so dim.

Cornelia came back with our glasses of milk. We then ordered the special that we wanted. She walked off after talking briefly with another employee. The man looked our way and nodded. I saw his mouth move, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I noticed that he looked like Cornelia with his black hair and deep blue eyes.

I looked at Train and we talked about some random things for a few minutes before Cornelia brought our dinner back.

"Man, that was fast! Are you guys infused with rockets or something?!" Train asked as she put the penne fettuccini on our table. Cornelia laughed and said, "No, we're not infused with rockets. We just make our dinners fast, that's all. It's hot, so be careful when you take the first few bites. Enjoy, and have fun on your date!" She winked at us again as she walked away and served another table. I felt heat rise to my face and I saw that Train had the same reaction.

"Well, it is technically a date," I said matter-of-factly as I sipped my milk.

"Yeah, I guess it is." He sipped his milk and took a small forkful of the penne fettuccini after blowing on it.

I suddenly had to go to the bathroom halfway through the meal and excused myself from the table with a simple, "Nature's calling." I didn't want Train to wait that long, so I tried to hurry. When I got back to our table, though, he wasn't there.

"Oh, no," I muttered. I flagged Cornelia down and asked her if she knew where Train was.

"I thought I saw some guy come in and take him away. He claimed to be Train's friend, but I'm not too sure about that…." Her sentence trailed off.

"Do I have to pay?" I asked suddenly.

"No," Cornelia said. "I'll take care of that. Just find your boyfriend. If you have to kick butt, kick butt for me." She turned and walked away. I took one last sip of my milk and went outside. The wind chilled me through my thin yukata. _I should've worn something thicker, _I thought as I shivered.

I heard a scream of pain and recognized the voice. _Train!_ My brain screamed. I ran in the direction of the voice and Train screamed again.

I decided to call out to let him know that I was coming. "I'm coming, Train!" I screamed as loud as I could.

"Saya!" I heard his hoarse voice answer my call.

I made it just in time and kneed the sucker in the groin. I noticed that Train's right shoulder was bleeding and his left arm trembled slightly. Trembling was a gunman's worst enemy—one slight movement and your shot wouldn't go in the direction that you wanted it to.

I helped Train up and he ended up knocking the guy out, but not before being stabbed in the thigh by his knife.

Train limped over toward me and rested his head on my shoulder briefly before lifting it up and saying, "Thank you, Saya." He clutched his bleeding shoulder with his right hand. Blood was starting to seep through his fingers and drip down his sleeve, and it coated the wound on his left thigh.

I helped him back to the apartment, and I bandaged his wounds, except for the one on his thigh. He thanked me again and I said, "It's okay, Train. Just rest." Soon enough, his head found the perfect spot on my shoulder and he fell sound asleep. I smiled sweetly at him and adjusted him so that his head was in my lap. I stroked his hair absentmindedly until Sven shouted that dinner was ready.

"Coming!" I called. "Train, wake up," I said to him.

Train stirred slightly, opening a brilliant gold eye. He looked at me quizzically.

"Dinner's ready," I told him. He got up and waited until I went into the dining room. All throughout dinner, we told Sven and Eve about the restaurant, Cornelia, and what happened afterwards.

"Wow," Sven said. "Man, Train! It's a good thing Saya was there to save you, or else who knows what would've happened!"

"I don't want to think about that right now," Train muttered while continuing to eat his chicken.

I looked at him with concern. He was never this serious.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"If you hadn't have saved me, I probably would've been kidnapped or something," he said.

"That's why I came," I said simply. He smiled and continued eating.

After dinner, he helped me wash the dishes.

We watched Iron Man and I found that it was pretty interesting. We ended up talking about it for the next hour. Train said that he was exhausted and went upstairs to sleep. I followed him soon after. I could hardly keep my eyes open by the time I had reached the bedroom.

I discovered that Train actually wasn't asleep. He was waiting for me so that way we could snuggle together before Eve and Sven came up.

I curled into his chest and fell asleep soon after.

--

_I was sitting on a rooftop, drinking milk and waiting for Train. All of a sudden, there he was, his brilliant eyes gleaming in the moonlight._

_"Hi, Saya!" he said. He sat next to me. He leaned in and kissed my cheek, then put his arm around me. I was blushing for some random reason._

_"Are you okay?" he asked._

_"Yeah. I… I just wanted to let you know that you're the best friend that I've ever met."_

_He also blushed before saying, "I feel the same way. Hey, do you ever think that we can be more than this?"_

_"Yeah," I said. It made me wonder, and I spaced out. He hugged me close and we enjoyed the warmth of each other._

--

I woke to the bright rays of sunlight streaking in through the window.

"Hey, darling," Train said. "It's time to wake up."

"Did you just call me darling?" I asked groggily.

He smiled brightly. "Yup."

I smiled. "What's for breakfast?"

"Cinnamon toast," Train said. "I saved two pieces for you."

"Thanks," I said.

"You're welcome." He helped me up and followed me down the stairs. He cleaned the dishes while I ate.

He showered and came out in a black t-shirt and jeans. He smiled at me and pecked me on the cheek when Sven and Eve weren't looking. He walked away while smiling a bright grin at me.

Night soon fell, and I noticed that Train was nowhere to be seen.

"Sven," I asked, "have you seen Train?"

"Not since he left to get the groceries two hours ago," he said.

Just then, Sven's cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" he asked. He then put the phone on speaker.

"Hi, Saya. Hi, Princess."

"Where are you?" Sven asked.

"I'm at the Lunafort tower," Train said.

"They rebuilt that? I'm impressed," Sven said.

"Sven, can you come and get me?" he asked.

"Sure," Sven said. "We'll be right there."

"Wait!" I said.

"What?" Sven asked.

"I'll walk there," I said. "I need the exercise, anyway."

Sven sighed, debating the idea for a few minutes. He finally said, "All right, I'll let you go. But if anything happens, call me and we'll get you as soon as we can."

"Thank you!" I said joyfully. I bid Sven and Eve goodbye and walked out the door. I thought about Train on the way to Lunafort tower. I was surprised that it wasn't that cold out at night. _Please take care of yourself, Train,_ I thought. My walk seemed to take forever, even though it was only forty-five minutes away from our hotel.

I started looking in the general location of the tower. Ten minutes later, I saw the front of the tower explode, and I quickly ran away to avoid the falling pieces of concrete. They fell to the ground, and I was glad that I had moved. I decided not to go any closer to the tower until I knew that there were no more pieces of concrete that were going to fall.

I wandered around for what felt like an hour until I finally stumbled upon Train. His left shoulder was bleeding. I approached him and he looked up at me with trusting eyes.

"Saya," he whispered. "Saya, you came for me."

I smiled and sat next to him. "I sure did."

"What led you here?" he asked me.

"My heart," I said.

He smiled at me. I smiled back. I pulled out my cell phone and called Sven. Train put his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes. I put my right hand on his shoulder and moved it up and down in a soothing way. I felt him relax.

"Hi, Sven," I said. "Can you come and get us?" I noticed that Train had lifted his head and was looking at me with "Can I talk to him?" written in his eyes.

"Hang on. Train wants to talk to you." I handed the phone to Train.

"Hi," he said. "Yeah, but it's just my shoulder. I'll be okay. Saya's right here." He looked at me as if to say, "Take over, please." My heart went out to him and I took the phone.

"We'll be here in a few minutes. Stay put. Call us when you see us."

"Okay," I said and hung up. Train shivered, so I pulled him close to me. "Cold, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. Worry lined his features.

"They'll be here soon," I said, trying to reassure him.

"It's not that. If I fall asleep and you're attacked, who'll save you? Unless Sven and Eve get here faster than I can say, 'Open sesame,' you're screwed if someone comes along."

"But no one will come along," I pointed out. He looked at me questioningly.

"I've got you here. Once they see your tattoo, they'll take off and never look back." He just smiled and looked at me with fond eyes, then placed his head on my shoulder and fell asleep again.

Soon, Sven and Eve came. Eve used her hair hands to place Train in the car and I sat next to him, making sure that he was okay. His cheeks had been cut slightly, and dried blood stuck to them. I found myself thinking about the fight that must have gone on between Train and whoever made the mistake of capturing him.

When we finally got back to the hotel, Sven bandaged Train's wounds and sent him to bed. I followed and we quickly fell asleep soon after.

I woke up to the smell of pancakes. I dragged myself downstairs and asked Train, "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," he said happily as he flipped the golden brown pancake onto a plate. "This one's just for you." He helped me into my chair and gave me the syrup bottle. To my surprise, it tasted delicious. I ate it within minutes and had another one, which Train gave to me happily. He walked away and closed the bathroom door behind him. He started to sing Westlife's World of Our Own.

_You make me feel funny  
When you come around.  
Yeah, that's what I found out honey.  
What am I doing without you?  
You make me feel happy.  
When I leave you behind,  
It plays on my mind now honey.  
What am I doing without you?_

_Oh! Took for granted everything we had,  
As if I'd find someone  
Who's just like you!_

_We got a little world of our own.  
I'll tell you things that no one else knows.  
I'll let you in where no one else goes.  
What am I doing without you?  
And all of the things I've been looking for,  
Have always been here outside of my door,  
And all of the time I'm looking for something new.  
What am I doing without you?_

_Well I guess I'm ready  
For settling down.  
And fooling around is over,  
And I swear that it's true.  
No buts or maybes.  
When I'm falling down,  
There's always someone who saves me,  
And girl it's you!_

_Funny how life can be so surprising.  
I'm just realizing what you do._

_We got a little world of our own.  
I'll tell you things that no one else knows.  
I let you in where no one else goes.  
What am I doing without you?  
And all of the things I've been looking for,  
Have always been here outside of my door,  
And all of the time I'm looking for something new.  
What am I doing without you? _

_Well it's feeling right now,  
So let's do it right now,  
Praying that somehow,  
You will understand the way.  
It's feeling right now, baby. Somehow  
I won't let this slip away!_

_We got a little world of our own.  
I'll tell you things that no one else knows.  
I let you in where no-one else goes.  
What am I doing without you?  
And all of the things I've been looking for,  
Have always been here outside of my door,  
And all of the time I'm looking for something new.  
What am I doing without you?_

I swooned at the sound of Train's voice. Sven and Eve were shocked that Train was singing, but they bit their lips. They sat down on the couch next to me and I waited for Train to get out of the shower.

He came out with his normal black pants on with a long blue polo shirt. He sat next to me, not knowing what I had planned.

"That was awesome," I said. He turned beet red as he realized that we had heard him. I laughed at his reaction and said, "You're too funny, Train!" When he went to get a bottle of milk, I stood up and pecked him on the cheek, which mortified him. Sven and Eve both said "Wow" at the same time.

"You two are really close now, aren't you?" Sven asked. I nodded. Train thanked me and walked away. He gave me a milk bottle, which I happily drank until it was empty.


	22. Visiting Lloyd and Another Encounter

***~*Sven's P.O.V.*~***

I watched as Saya drank her milk until it was empty. I swore that if Train and Saya were any more catlike, they would actually _be_ cats.

"Train," I asked once Saya had gotten into the shower, "How do you feel when you're around Saya?"

Train seemed shocked by my question for a few seconds, but then he said, "I feel happy around her." He laughed quietly, and then said, "Sorry. I was thinking about how beautiful she is. I could probably rant about that, but then you'd be bored to death if I did."

"No," I said. "I would actually like to hear it."

It was Train's turn to ask me something. "Do you have any, er, _chivalrous_ advice for me?"

"Treat her right," I said simply.

Train nodded and said "Mmh" at the same time.

The phone rang just then. I ran to get it.

"Hey, Lloyd!" I said happily. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk."

"Oh. I was just wondering, but how did you come back to life?"

"A doctor found me and implanted some nanomachines in me. They're restorative ones, but he said that they would make me sick if I didn't take them out soon. Do you have Eve with you?"

"Actually, yes."

"And I suppose that she can extract the nanomachines?"

"Yup."

"Cool. Could you bring her over?"

"Sure. We'll be right there. See you soon." I hung up and said to Train, "Do you mind watching over the apartment for a few minutes?"

"No," he said.

"Cool. Thanks a million, Train." I got Eve in the car and drove off. I heard Saya's song in my head as I drove off.

_Sing a song unto the world,_

_Rising high, the clouds unfurl._

_Fan the flames into the past._

_Here, now, our lives will last._

_We'll never know the times of pain._

_Fall down, fall down, falls the rain,_

_My life won't be plain._

We reached Lloyd's house and his wife answered the door. "You must be Sven Vollfied and Eve," she said. "Come in. Lloyd's been waiting."

Jessica came into the doorway and said quietly, "Mommy, is this the friend that used to visit Daddy's grave?"

Anaya nodded. "Yes, it is," she said. Jessica gasped out of wonder. Eve went over and introduced herself while I went into the living room and talked to Lloyd. A few minutes later, Jessica came in with Eve in tow and said, "Mommy, I'm going to take Eve upstairs and show her my room."

Anaya nodded good-naturedly and said, "Go on, honey. We'll call you down when we need you."

"Okay!" Jessica bounded off.

Anaya started to talk. "We heard about you and the girl, Eve. We were hoping that she could do something about the nanomachines in Lloyd's body."

A little while later, I called Eve down to remove the nanomachines in Lloyd's body. All Eve had to do was put her hair against Lloyd's forehead and extract the nanomachines.

Lloyd hugged her afterwards and thanked her. Eve nodded, said, "You're welcome," and left.

"How do you feel now?" I asked Lloyd.

"A lot better," he said. "Remember the gang that destroyed your eye?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I was just thinking about them and wondered if you wanted to go after them again."

"No," I said. The last time we encountered those guys, Lloyd had died. I wasn't going to let Lloyd die again—not if I could help it. "You should stay here and rest," I said. I prayed to God that Lloyd would stay.

A few seconds went by before Lloyd said, "I'll stay here and rest. It seems like a good idea." I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

It was then that I remembered that Train and Saya were at the apartment. _Oh, crap! I should probably go back and check on them,_ I thought.

I got Eve and bid my goodbyes to Jessica, Lloyd, and Anaya. In the car, I activated the cell phone trackers and saw that Saya and Train were still there. We drove there in a matter of minutes and I pulled up to the driveway. Saya greeted me happily when I went in.

"Where's Train?" I asked her.

"Shower," she said simply.

I sweatdropped. _Train's taking a shower_ now_?_ I thought. I saw a bounty on the kitchen table and said, "I'll go after this guy. Could you watch Eve for me?"

"Sure!" Saya said. She was so calm and laid-back. I thanked her and told her to tell Train that I would be back later.

"He might come looking for you," Saya objected.

_True,_ I thought. I wrote him a simple note that said, "Gone after bounty. Be back later. –Sven."

"You've also got those cell phone trackers, right?" Saya asked me.

"Yeah," I said. Saya nodded in approval.

"I'd make you stay until Train came out, but it seems that you're in a hurry, so I'll let you go. Good luck!" she called to me as I left.

When I was well outside the apartment, the gang that I had seen all those years ago stopped me. _Oh, crap,_ I thought. I suddenly wished that Train was there.

"Hello, Sven Vollfied," the leader said. He smiled evilly. I knew no more soon after.

--

_Train was there, his back facing me. He turned to me and said, "Sven, wake up."_

--

_I must've been unconscious,_ I thought as I looked around after my eyes had snapped open and adjusted to the amount of light in the area where I was being held. I realized that my hands were chained to a pole. Train then bursted in and said loudly, "Sven! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" He ran over to me, breathing heavily as he undid my handcuffs.

"You idiot!" I said to him as he freed my hands. "This is a trap to kill both of us!"

"I know," he said. "When I got out of the shower, I had a bad feeling about where you were."

"So why did you come?"

"I couldn't let you die." The words made me gasp slightly. "Where's your gun?"

"They took it." Train nodded.

"Well, aren't you two fools?" The leader stepped in and saw Train and me. "If you give in to your emotions, you'll fall prey to a trap like this!" He pulled out his gun along with the other members of his group.

Train stepped in front of me. He took out Hades and aimed it at the men.

The leader sneered, "Do you want to die first?"

Train replied with another question. "Do you know who I am?"

The leader smirked. "Yeah, and we can bring you down. Every man wants that bounty on your head."

Train smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure about the whole we-can-bring-you-down part."

Enraged by Train's comment, the leader shouted, "Die, you bastard!" The gang started shooting, and Train blocked every single one of their bullets. When they were out of rounds, Train took advantage of this and pistol-whipped every man that opposed us. When he was done, he turned to me and said, "Shall we go, Sven?"

I nodded. Train had saved my life. I owed him.

"I owe you for that," I said as we made our way out from the warehouse.

"No, you don't!" he said. "How'd the visit with Lloyd go?"

"Good. Eve did well in pulling the nanomachines out of Lloyd's body."

"I knew that Princess could do it. And what about his wife?"

"She's well."

"Didn't you mention that they had a daughter, too?"

"Yeah."

We talked about Lloyd for the rest of the way to the apartment.

Saya nearly tackled Train when he opened the door. Train said, "Jeez, Saya! I don't need to be sent down the stairs!"

Saya blushed and apologized. "I got a little too excited there." Train smiled back warmly.

They walked in together before Saya noticed me. "Hi, Sven," she said. "How'd it go?"

"Well."

"That's all that you have to say? Don't you want to say more?"

Train came to my defense. "If he talked any more right now, his mouth would fall off."

I thanked Train for coming to my defense later.

"Coming to your defense?" Train seemed surprised, then laughed a few seconds later. This caught me off guard. He continued, "That was half coming to your defense and half wanting to build the tension." He winked and grinned at me slyly. "I'll make you tell them more about your visit with Lloyd tomorrow. Well, I'm exhausted, so goodnight."

I glared at him in annoyance as he laughed and walked away.


	23. I Got A Feelin'

**Author's Note: The basic descriptions of the members of the Black Roses are as follows:**

**Ken Nordstrom: Leader of the Black Roses; 5'10"; 24; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin yet strong and stubborn.**

**Jacques Wilshire: Second-in-command of the Black Roses; 5'7"; 20; black-haired, silver-eyed; stocky; belligerent, strong, and confident.**

**Georgia Langdon: Third-in-command of the Black Roses; 5'6"; 21; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin; manipulative, audacious, and controlling.**

**Scott Omar: 6'5"; 27; brown-haired, green-eyed; well-built; calm, collected and tough.**

**Jilin Tejaffe: 6'2"; 30; black-haired, black-eyed; pudgy; frantic, flighty, and nervous.**

**Dom Kingman: 5'6"; 30; brown-haired, blue-eyed; portly; lazy, carefree, and frank. **

**Sasha McBeal: 5'4"; 25; blond-haired, brown-eyed; lanky; happy, charming, and aloof.**

**Ran Walkman: 5'8"; 28; brown-haired, brown-eyed; thin; serious, determined, and hardy.**

**Piper Bett: 5'2"; 24; blond-haired, blue-eyed; thin; cunning and firm, obstinate.**

**Iona St. Germaine: 5'11", 29; black-haired, green-eyed; thin; lively, courageous, and fearless.**

-

Train had a very pleasant sleep. For once, his dreams were not depressing, sad, or full of anger. They were about Saya and his feelings for her. He fell a little more for Saya when he woke up that morning and found her lips a few inches away from his. He had never really looked at Saya before, but as his eyes scanned her sleeping form, he realized that she was more beautiful than he had ever imagined.

Saya woke a few minutes later and realized that Train was looking at her. She smiled and pecked his nose. A blush crept onto Train's cheeks.

Later, Train showered and said that he was going to pay Karl a visit. _He probably thinks I'm dead,_ Train thought with a hint of black humor.

"That's in Rubeck City! Are you sure that you can make it there in one day?" Saya asked.

"Yeah," Train said. "I'll see you guys later." Train then took the train to Rubeck City and made it there in four hours. He stretched after walking off, and then scoured the streets for Karl's office. He found it within a few minutes and went in. After wandering the hallways for a few minutes, he reached the door where a sign greeted him with the words, "Karl Walken's Office. Knock before entering."

_Hello again, Karl. It's been a while._ Train knocked and went in. Karl's assistant came out and told Train that Karl was ready to see him. Train walked in and saw Karl waiting for him.

"Hi, Train," Karl said while getting up and taking a glass for Train out of the cabinet. He poured some milk into it and handed it to Train. Train graciously accepted it and waited until Karl sat with his own steaming hot tea to start drinking.

"Train, I was so worried about you for the past seven months. I kept thinking about you. I thought that you were dead."

Train laughed. "I'm not that easy to get rid of." He continued in a calmer, softer voice, "You don't have to worry about me, Karl. I can take care of myself."

Karl smiled lightly. He was glad to see Train again, and he knew that Train was happy to see him. "Tell me all about what you did in the past few months."

Train explained everything—Eden, what he did on his travels, and meeting Saya again when he was back with Sven, Eve, and Rinslet.

Karl smiled. "So you're starting to fall for someone, huh? I'm proud of you, Train. Your parents would be, too."

Train smiled. A light blush came to his cheeks as he thought about Saya momentarily. Karl laughed at this sudden reaction.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you? What does she look like?"

Train described everything about Saya to Karl—her short, dark brown hair, her brilliant blue eyes, her yukatas that she wore. Train could picture Saya in his mind.

"She sounds like a she's quite a looker," Karl commented when Train was done describing her.

Train blushed a bit deeper and said, "Yeah, she is."

After another hour of talking, Karl dismissed Train.

"How's the 100 grand doing?" Train asked.

"It's going well. As you can see, I've fixed up the areas that were damaged."

Train nodded. Giving Karl the rest of the 150 grand was the least that he could have done for him.

"Good bye, Train," Karl said. "See you soon!"

Train thanked Karl and left.

"He's got a girlfriend?" Karl's assistant asked incredulously.

"Not quite. However, he's falling for someone."

"Oh."

Train made it back to Elsida before nightfall. He fell asleep soon after he got to the hotel. Saya curled up next to him and fell asleep.

--

_"Train?"_

_"Yeah, Saya?"_

_"I have the feeling that something's going to be different between us by the middle of the summer."_

--

Train woke to the smell of coffee. He dragged himself out of bed and shuffled into the kitchen. "Sven, what day is it?"

"It's May 24th. Why?"

"May 24th? So that means that summer's coming up."

"Yup. What makes you ask?"

"I had a dream last night. It was weird. Saya told me that she had the feeling that something was going to be different between us by the middle of the summer."

"That's July," Sven said. "So that's about two months away."

"Yeah. And didn't Rins say something about _Medulla aestris_ taking a month to show the first symptoms?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, crap."

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that by the time that I fall in love with Saya, _Medulla aestris_ might have already begun to show itself."

"Did you just mention falling in love with Saya?"

"Um… Yeah. Why?" Train paused slightly. "Well, isn't it obvious that I'm falling for her?"

"What are you talking about?" Saya came into the kitchen.

Train blushed heavily, not wanting to say the word that was begging to come out of his mouth: "You." His heart raced and he could feel his palms start to sweat. Billy Currington's I Got a Feelin' played in Train's head while he experienced the symptoms of liking someone.

_I don't wanna rush this thing,  
I don't wanna jump the gun.  
I really wanna say those three little words,  
But I'm gonna bite my tongue._

_Yeah, I'm just gonna lay back,  
Leave it on cruise control.  
I'm gonna hold it all inside  
'till the right time comes down the road._

_I got a feelin'.  
My head's a reelin',  
My heart is screamin',  
I'm about to bust loose!  
Bottled up emotion,  
It's more than a notion.  
It starts with an "I"  
And ends with a "U".  
I got a feelin',  
Are you feelin' it too?_

_I guess I've all but said it now.  
So much for hopin' you'd go first.  
Don't leave me hangin' out here on a line.  
Baby, it's your turn.  
Say you couldn't sleep last night,  
Swore that you could feel me breathe,  
Had you wantin' me there by your side.  
Yeah, baby I know what you mean._

_I got a feelin'.  
My head's a reelin',_

_My heart is screamin',  
I'm about to bust loose!  
Bottled up emotion,  
It's more than a notion.  
It starts with an "I"  
And ends with a "U"  
I got a feelin',  
You're feelin' it too._

_Bottled up emotion,  
It's more than a notion.  
It starts with an "I"  
And ends with a "U".  
I got a feelin',  
You're feelin' it too.  
You're feelin' it too.  
Yeah, you're feelin' it too.  
Feelin' it too.  
Oh, yeah._

Saya was also experiencing the symptoms of liking someone. Eve was wondering what Train and Saya were thinking. She could tell that their attraction was strong, and it fascinated her. She wondered when they would share their first kiss. Whenever it was, she wanted to be there. She wanted to witness it for herself.

There was a moment of awkward silence between the sweepers, and then the coffee maker declared that the coffee was ready by emitting a loud ding that made everyone but Sven jump. Train, Saya, and Eve started to laugh, and Sven joined in.

It had only been seventeen days since Saya had returned, but the two sweeper's feelings were increasing steadily. Train's thoughts turned to _Medulla aestris_ and he wanted it to show itself after he was in love with Saya.

Saya wanted to go after a bounty, so she and Train went to the Sweeper's Café and chose a $20,000 bounty. It was for a gang of notorious murderers that consisted of ten people—Ken Nordstrom, Jacques Wilshire, Georgia Langdon, Scott Omar, Jilin Tejaffe, Dom Kingman, Sasha McBeal, Ran Walkman, Piper Bett, and Iona St. Germaine—known collectively as The Black Roses.

Train and Saya eventually found the Black Roses at their hideout in a warehouse. Ken Nordstrom was there, smiling in an amused fashion. His brown eyes and brown hair blended together in the near darkness.

Saya then elbowed Jacques Wilshire in the neck, knocking him to the ground. Train then pistol-whipped Scott Omar in the back of the head. Iona St. Germaine succeeded in kicking Saya's stomach. Saya groaned and doubled over in pain. Train saw this and immediately went to Saya's rescue.

Train punched Iona and she fell with a _thud_.

"Ever the weakness, hm?" Train gasped and turned around. Jacques took out his knife and stabbed Train's abdomen with it. Train screamed and blood trickled down his lip. Jacques took the knife out of Train's abdomen and said sweeper fell to his knees, holding his wound while blood was trickling through his fingers and landing on the floor with a few soft drips.

Train growled and mustered the strength to stand while holding his wound. He then charged at Jacques and headbutted his stomach. Jacques was taken by surprise and started to vomit once he had recovered from the force of Train's headbutt. Sasha then grabbed Saya and threatened her with a knife. Saya elbowed Sasha in the stomach and Sasha doubled over in pain. Saya then punched Sasha and Sasha refused to fight.

Dom Kingman ran over and tried to punch Train, but Train knocked him unconscious with a heavy punch to the face. Jilin Tejaffe came over and also attempted to punch Train, but Train also knocked Jilin unconscious with an elbow to the face. _Four down, six more to go,_ Train thought as he saw Saya kick Georgia Langdon in the stomach. Georgia bent over and then retaliated with a swift punch to Saya's head.

Saya fell and the next thing Train saw was red. He ran over to Georgia and punched her with all of the force that he had gathered in his fist. Blood spurted onto his knuckles as he broke her nose and rendered her unconscious. _Make that five down,_ Train thought as he helped Saya up.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I just have one hell of a headache," she said.

Train nodded. Iona charged over and went to punch Train, but Train grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Iona's arm cracked loudly. She screamed and held it, unable to fight. There were only three people left—Ken, Piper, and Ran. Piper ran to Saya and screamed, "How the hell did you defeat all of us? I'll kill you!" She drew her sword and ran towards Saya.

Saya froze while remembering Creed. Train knew he had to act fast or else the person who he cared for most would suffer the same fate once again. He cocked Hades, took aim at Piper's sword, and fired. The sword could not withstand a hit from a bullet at such a close range, and it broke just before the hilt. Piper stared in astonishment and then threw down the hilt. She grabbed the long piece of the sword and ran toward Saya.

Train then jumped in front of Saya and waited for the sword to strike.

Pain seared through him as the sword embedded itself in his abdomen. Once again, he realized that he was in danger of losing too much blood. Piper withdrew the sword and Train fell to the ground with a pool of blood surrounding him.

"Train!" Saya screamed as she saw her beloved hit the ground. Saya then took out her gun and shot Piper's shoulder. Piper groaned but didn't drop her sword. Train then managed to stand up and hit Piper, knocking her unconscious. Ken and Ran exchanged glances. They knew that they were sorely outnumbered. They decided to surrender because they knew that there was no way of winning the fight, no matter how hard they tried.

With the help of Sven and Eve, the sweepers turned in the Black Roses and got their $20,000 bounty.

"Did Ken and Ran surrender?" Sven asked as he bandaged Train's stomach wound.

"Yeah," Train said. "They probably knew that they couldn't win."

Saya winked and smiled. "That's because we kick ass and take names!"

Train smiled back. "Damn straight!" A few minutes later, Train lay down on the couch and dozed off. Saya sat beside him. As he slept peacefully, she wondered what the future would hold in store for them.


	24. Warnings

**Author's note: For the wolf's voice, think of Rick Astley.**

--

_It was dark and Train could just barely make out what was ahead of him. Where am I? He thought. I can't see anything. It's too dark._

_ "Train…"_

_ Saya? Train thought as she turned around to look at him with her bright blue eyes._

_ Everything turned dark and a bright green light shone in Train's face. He covered his face with his hand until his eyes adjusted to the light. He then looked toward the source of the light and saw a massive green wolf with yellow eyes staring at him. Small shivers shot down Train's spine as he stared into the wolf's challenging eyes._

_ "Hello, _weakling_," it sneered in a deep manly voice._

_ "What are you?!" Train asked in astonishment. Okay, so you're a male. Like that's not weird, Train thought sarcastically._

_ The wolf blinked. "Medulla aestris," it said._

_ "What? You can't be. That's impossible!"_

_ The wolf snickered, a quiet sound that made Train start to quiver slightly. "But I am. You see, I manifest myself in many different forms inside people's heads. This is how you'll see me, as a wolf, from now until you beat me." It paused slightly before continuing and then smiled menacingly, curling its lips back to reveal sharp white teeth. "That is, _if_ you even_ _beat me!" It faded away and Train heard the wolf's laughter in his head._

--

Train bolted upright, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. _Was that Medulla aestris contacting me? _His eyes widened and he gasped slightly. _I didn't realize that it would prepare to strike so soon. I thought that it would've laid low for a little while, but I guess not. _He slid out of bed and went into the kitchen.

"Morning, Train," Sven said. Upon seeing Train's pale and sweaty face, he said, "Are you okay?"

"No," Train said. Eve gave Train a cloth and said man dried his face with it.

"Was it _Medulla aestris_?" Saya asked.

"Yeah," Train said. "It was in the form of a green wolf."

Sven got the phone and dialed Rinslet's number.

"Hi, Sven," she said. "I was actually just getting ready to call you guys."

"Train wants to talk to you," Sven said.

"Oh," Rinslet said as Sven handed the phone to Train.

"Hi," Train said.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I just dreamed of _Medulla aestris_."

"You did?"

"Yup. It was in the form of a massive green wolf. It said that it could manifest itself in different ways."

"It says here that you can see it in your dreams. I think that you can also see it when you're conscious, too…."

Train nodded. He made sure that he would look out for any massive green wolves appearing out of thin air.

Later, when he was in the shower and Sven, Eve, and Saya were at the supermarket ("We're only going to be gone for 10 minutes at the most," Saya had said), he turned around and saw the wolf staring at him.

"Hello again," the wolf said.

"Stalker," Train muttered under his breath as he grabbed a loofa and scrubbed his arms.

"So that's what you think I am, huh? Ha! When you and that little girlie of yours fall in love, I'll strike." When Train turned around, it had vanished. _Great,_ he thought sarcastically._ So I have to deal with this thing for a few weeks. This is just what I need!_

Saya came back and saw Train reading on the couch. She walked over to him and asked, "So, did you see it again?"

"Yup," Train said while looking up from his page. What he saw in Saya's eyes made him stare. Her bright eyes were lit with concern and growing feelings for him. He loved the way that her eyes pierced his soul with affection and tenderness. Train proceeded to lose himself in Saya's eyes, and he began to see deep into the recesses of her soul.

He found himself putting his book down and leaning in towards Saya's face. It was conscious yet unconscious at the same time, and some unseen force was making him stand up and cup her cheeks with his hands. He stopped short a few inches away from her and he pressed his forehead against hers. He stared into Saya's eyes and Saya stared into his.

Sven saw this and let out a low whistle. Eve heard Sven's whistle and looked up from the book that she was reading. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight before her. Train seemed to realize that Sven and Eve were looking at Saya and him, and he stopped staring into Saya's eyes while mumbling something along the lines of, "Sorry. I didn't see you there."

Sven laughed. "It's okay."

The wolf's voice resounded in Train's head and Train sensed that it was standing behind him. "Oh, that was just _so _cute," he said in a mocking tone. He snorted contemptuously. "Cute?" Train saw the wolf spit on the ground. "I wanted to vomit!"

Train responded with his thoughts. _Shut up, scumbag. I don't want to hear from you for the rest of today, you hear?_

"Suit yourself." The wolf faded.

Train went to the fridge and got a bottle of milk out. He threw a bottle to Saya and she caught it.

"Thanks," she said.

"Welcome," Train replied. He popped the cap and finished it within seconds.

"Jeez, Train. Can you drink a little slower next time? I don't need you choking," Sven said.

"Sorry," Train said as he threw the milk bottle into the recycling bin. Sven noted the irritation in Train's voice.

"What's gotten into you?" Sven asked Train.

"Nothing," Train snapped.

"Come on, Train. Something's up."

Fed up with Sven's grilling, Train said angrily, "It's that damn wolf! He's been stalking me all morning, and I even saw him the shower! I told him that I didn't want to hear from him for the rest of the day, but he's standing right beside me!"

"It has a gender?" Sven asked.

"Yeah," Train growled. "Can you guys see him?"

"I'm not seeing any massive green wolves beside you," Sven said.

"Great. What happens when I'm in public and I speak out loud to it? People will think I'm nuts."

"But that's why you'll stay here," Saya pointed out. "We'll do the running for you until it—excuse me, _he_—decides to stop being a total stalker and leave you alone."

"Did Rinslet say if it could physically hurt you?" Eve asked.

"No," Train said. The thought worried him—what if Sven, Eve, and Saya weren't home and it decided to hurt him? What would he do then?

That was when Rinslet called again.

"Hey, Rins," Train said, vestiges of irritation weaving their way into his voice.

"What's up with you?"

"It's the wolf."

"It's been stalking you already?"

"Yeah."

"That's bad, Train. It's intent on striking."

"I know. Can it physically hurt me?"

"Yes."

_Dammit! Why can't anything just be _harmless_ for once?!_ "So it could bite my head off at any second?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Wonderful," Train said sarcastically. "Can Sven and the others see it?"

"Only if the wolf wants them to."

Eve gasped. "Saya, Sven, he's here!" she whispered. Saya stared open-mouthed at the wolf while Sven's eye widened. Train glared daggers at it.

The wolf smiled. "I see that you're Train's comrades," he said out loud.

"Leave Train alone right now!" Saya shouted.

The wolf laughed. "Make me, broad!"

Saya stared in shock and Train hung up with Rinslet. "_What_ did you just call her?" Train growled menacingly.

The wolf smiled. "A broad."

Train glared at the wolf and whacked him over the head with Hades. Blood flew out of the wolf's mouth and landed on the floor.

_Train can hurt Medulla aestris, too,_ Sven thought.

_Medulla aestris _vanished, and so did the blood.

"Is the word 'broad' offensive to women?" Eve asked.

"Yes," Saya growled while seething.

"Oh," Eve said.

Saya stormed off and took a shower. Train seethed and sat on the couch. Sven and Eve stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do.

An hour later, Saya, Sven, and Eve had went to Rinslet's place and were helping her with something—Train hadn't heard what. So here he was, bored to tears, standing in the middle of the kitchen. Train gasped as he saw the wolf before him.

"Didn't I tell you not to come out again?!"

"Yes, but I don't obey stupid humans like you." _Medulla aestris_ smiled, baring its fangs.

Train gasped.

"You realize what this means, don't you? You're all alone with no one to come and help you. That's pathetic, if you ask me."

He leapt at Train.

-

Saya, Sven, and Eve wondered what Train was doing.

"Probably sleeping," Sven said.

"I say that he's drinking milk."

Saya laughed at the mental image of Train being surrounded by empty bottles of milk. "Let's stop guessing and find out!"

She opened the door and gasped at the sight before her.

"Train!"


	25. Relatives

**A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner. I was busy and also suffering from writer's block on this chapter, but I got through it! :D**

**I would like to take a moment to thank Soulless Ghosty for suggesting an idea for this chapter. I was stuck for ideas, but when I read her review, I was like, "Oh, hey! I could do a chapter with that in it!" Thank you, Soulless Ghosty! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs used in previous chapters. I don't own Black Cat, either. Just so you know, there are some slight spoilers for the anime that are touched upon in this chapter.**

-

Train was lying on the kitchen floor, unconscious and covered in blood. Saya gasped and stood there, too shocked to move. Eve seemed to be the same way. Sven observed the teeth marks on Train's abdomen while Saya was praying to the heavens that Train wasn't dead.

"The wolf did this to him," Sven said after a few minutes. "He knew that we were gone."

Saya knelt beside Train and put her ear close to his heart. To her relief, it was beating ever so slightly. She sighed and closed her eyes. "He's still alive," she said out loud.

"Train wouldn't die just because of a wolf bite," Sven said. He then picked Train up, placed him on the couch, took off his shirt and wrapped his wounds. Sven then put Train's shirt back on. Eve wrapped ice in a cruddy towel and put it on Train's head to serve as a cold compress. Eve read by Train's side while glancing at him from time to time. He seemed at peace, breathing slowly but steadily. Train stirred a few hours later.

"Saya? Sven? Eve? When…?" He couldn't finish his sentence.

"Hey," Sven said while he flipped the page of the newspaper that he was reading. "You're finally awake."

"Yeah," Train said. "How… how long have I been out for?"

"A few hours," Saya said.

"The wolf attacked you," Eve said.

"I know," Train groaned. "I remember it happening. It hurt like hell."

"The marks are pretty deep," Sven said.

"Do you think they'll scar?"

"No, probably not."

Train was relieved. Saya sat down near Train's head. Train looked up at her as if to say, "What are you doing?" She moved his head so that it was on her lap. Train gazed into Saya's eyes contentedly and fell asleep a few minutes later.

_With the rate that their relationship is progressing, it probably won't be long until they fall in love,_ Sven thought. Eve, Train, and Saya's thoughts were along the same lines as Sven's.

-

When Eve, Sven, and Saya were absolutely certain that Train was okay, the phone rang. Saya answered it while Train got frozen kale out of the freezer. He then took dry-roasted peanuts, red pepper flakes, and tamari-toasted almonds out of the closet. Train then put said items in a bowl and started eating them.

"Train, what the hell is that?" Sven asked as Train took a bite of the salad.

After he finished chewing, he said, "It's a salad. I like it. It helps my eyes, too."

"Kale is a type of cabbage that is very high in vitamins K, A and C, beta carotene, magnesium, copper, calcium, and many other minerals and vitamins. In short, it is very good for you."

Sven looked at the title of the book that Eve had read aloud from. It was called _The Many Benefits of Kale_. Sven sweatdropped. That's _what she's reading?_

Saya hung up the phone, looking uncertain.

"Is something wrong, Saya?" Train asked.

"My parents called. They wanted to see me again."

Train gasped slightly. He knew about Saya's past. To put it lightly, Saya's relationship with her parents was far from pleasant—very, very far.

"What do you want to do?" Train asked.

"I guess I'll go, but I want you guys to come with me."

Sven nodded. An hour later, the sweepers hopped in the car and drove to where Saya's parents were staying.

When they were at the house's doorstep, Saya rang the doorbell. Saya's father answered the door.

"Saya?" he asked, shocked that she had actually came. Train caught the irritation in his blue eyes. His deep brown hair looked greasy. _Did he even shower before we came?_ Train thought, momentarily grossed out by his appearance. He thought it not normal to answer the door looking dirty. Train thought that it gave people a bad impression—who would want to come into someone's house when the person who answered the door looked unclean?

"Hi, Dad," Saya said. "I came, just like you asked me to."

"That's wonderful," her father said. Train could hear the strain in his voice and wondered if Saya's father really wanted them there.

A little while later, after Saya's parents kicked Saya, Train, Sven and Eve out, Eve said, "They clearly did not want us here."

"Sorry, guys," Saya said. "I thought they wanted to see me again, but I guess not."

"It's okay," Train said. He smiled. "Parents are moody like that." Saya found herself smiling at his words. Her hand bumped his twice and he held her hand. Sven noticed the gesture and smiled contentedly. He decided not to say anything and let Train and Saya be.

Train felt his feelings for Saya intensify as he looked into her blue eyes.

Sven shouted, "Train, watch out! There's a car coming!"

Train managed to wrench his gaze away before he found himself almost squished by a car. Adrenaline tore through his body and he jumped back, feeling his heart hammer against his ribcage with astounding force.

The black SUV that had nearly made Train into a sweeper pancake skidded to a halt a few feet away. Four men and one woman dressed in black jumped out.

The first man was about 6'2" with black hair and brown eyes. His name was Ken Morris. The second man was 5'7" with blonde hair and blue eyes, and he was Alexander Zimmerman. Riley Schumacher, an average-sized man with slightly gray hair and hazel eyes, followed Alexander out of the back door. Quince Schneider, a short, pudgy, loudmouthed man with black hair and green eyes, stepped out of the car. Winona Bell leapt out of the car. Her long brown hair, which was tied up in a ponytail, streamed out behind her and her slender feet hit the ground. She held up a large gun which, to Train, looked odd. _Maybe she's got that huge gun because she's so small,_ he thought.

Quince was the leader of the group, which was known as The Jumpers. Their specialty, as one could probably guess by their name, was attacking people at moments when they least expected it. Today, these four sweepers were their targets.

"Well, well, well," Quince began as Ken, Alexander, Riley, and Winona surrounded Train, Sven, Eve and Saya with their guns cocked and ready to fire, "who do we have here?" Before anyone could answer, he continued, "Let's see… the Black Cat, a bio-weapon, a former IBI agent, and a sweeper."

"How did you know who we are?!" Sven demanded.

"We do backround checks on all of our victims," Quince said.

"Vicitms?" Train asked. _Dammit! What the hell did we get ourselves into _now_?!_

"Yes, you heard me right—_victims_." The thought hit Train that they might not be able to get out of this predicament alive. He suddenly realized that he had seen their faces on a bounty list a few days ago.

"You do realize that you're all wanted criminals, right?" Train asked.

"In fact, yes, we do," Quince said. "How much is our bounty, Winona?"

Winona replied, "30 thousand."

"That's a pretty large bounty," Sven said.

Ken smiled. "Damn straight."

"Too bad we're all armed," Saya said. She took out her cocked Beretta 93R and it glimmered in the sunlight. _Don't hold back there, Saya, _Train thought as he took Hades out of his holster and cocked it. The Orichalcum gun also shone in the sunlight. Sven held up his attaché case and the machine guns that he had installed into it came shooting out with a touch of a button. Eve turned her hair into nanoslicers. She figured that she didn't need them, but you never knew what your bounty was going to do.

Quince felt that he and his gang were going to win this fight.

Winona shot at Train, and he blocked the shot with Hades. Saya then shot at Winona and the bullet buried itself in her leg. Winona fell with a groan. _Winona's always the first one to go down,_ Quince thought with irritation. Ken shot at Saya, and the bullet connected with her shoulder. Train then shot a bullet through the barrel of Ken's gun and destroyed it. Ken pulled out an emergency pistol, but Train also destroyed that. Eve changed her hair into fists and knocked out Ken.

Quince pulled out a pistol and quickly shot at Sven. Sven blocked the shot with his attaché case and made the machine guns fire quickly. The bullets made quick work of Alexander and Riley, clipping them in multiple places. Quince sighed. Why did his gang have to be such sissies? He now knew that he wasn't going to win this fight and felt it best that he surrendered before any more damage was done.

After turning in the gang and getting their $30,000 bounty, the sweepers ate at Marcy's Diner, and as usual, Train managed to eat most of the bounty away. Saya then suggested going to Pan Pan Pan and visiting Layla.

"Welcome to Pan Pan Pan! How can we help you today?" Layla asked. The kids echoed her words.

Layla then handed the sweepers a menu. Layla then recognized Eve from seven months ago when she had first met Eve. Leon had been with the Apostles of the Stars and Tim had been left to protect the group by himself.

"Eve!" Layla walked over to the table where the sweepers were sitting. She had put Leon in charge of greeting the customers while Layla was busy talking to Eve. Leon had obliged, but was slightly annoyed. Why did he, a former Apostle of the Star, have to greet customers? Why couldn't Tim do it? Leon sighed to himself, knowing fully well that Tim wouldn't do something like this. Tim would probably mention his manliness and start going on some sort of rant about how he was too manly to greet customers for a bakery.

A woman with long red hair and green eyes walked by wearing a purple t-shirt and denim shorts. She paused while looking into the window. Leon was about to open his mouth and say, "Welcome to Pan Pan Pan! How can I help you today?", but she walked away before he could do anything.

Totally taken aback and angry by the woman's apparent lack of courtesy, Leon thought angrily to himself, _I thought that people would've learned some manners by now! How could she just walk away from me like that?! Sheesh! The rudeness of some people!_

"It's been a while, Eve," Layla said. Eve nodded.

"I missed you too, Layla," Eve said.

Layla gasped at the sight of Train and Saya sitting close together. "Aww!" she gushed. "You two are so cute together!"

Saya smiled and Train turned a light shade of pink. "Thanks," Saya said.

It was Layla's turn to smile. "I have to go serve the customers now. Leon doesn't look like he's having any success. Talk to you later!" She walked away and returned to the front of the bakery.

Train ordered a chocolate cupcake, which he split with Saya, Sven ordered a cup of coffee, and Eve ate a black and white cookie.

They headed back to the hotel and hung out for the rest of the day. After ordering a pizza, they all read their books. Train had finished James Patterson's _Cross Country_ and had heard that there was another book in the same series called _Alex Cross's Trial_. He made a mental note to go to the library with Eve.

They all fell asleep soon after. Sven dreamed about being on a beach with Tearju. Eve dreamed that she was riding a horse through a grassy plain, then stopping to drink from a stream. Saya dreamed that she and Train were moongazing from the rooftops while drinking bottles of milk. Train dreamed that he was in a meadow with Saya. He found a cherry blossom tree and settled under it with Saya by his side.

A small smile crept onto Train's face as he slept. Thoughts of the wolf didn't cross his mind for once, and he eased into a peaceful state of mind. Things were actually calm, and that was a rarity in the busy life of a sweeper.


	26. This Moment

Train woke up to Saya looking at him intently from the other side of the bed. Train grinned honey-slow, treasuring the moment. He felt his heart melt and fizzle into a state of bliss. Saya's eyes seemed to hold some of the sun's light in them, and all Train wanted to do was hold her close and savor her warmth. He would never let her leave him again.

Train and Saya's hearts squeezed with joy and affection for one another as they gazed into each other's eyes intently. Train felt himself sit up, scoot closer to Saya in the bed, pull her close, and whisper in her ear, "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and keep you safe. If you're lost, I'll comb the entire Earth to find you. If you're scared, I'll chase your demons away. If someone makes you cry, tell me who it is and I'll kick their butt. I'll take care of you, I promise. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Saya smiled, but said nothing. They closed their eyes and bathed in the sun's light. Sven opened the door and saw Train looking at him as if to say, "Hi. Can you leave us alone for a few more seconds, please? Thanks. We would appreciate it if you did that." Sven smiled understandingly and left.

Eve was reading while eating her pancakes. She looked up and asked, "How are they?"

Sven shrugged, not sure as to how to answer Eve's question. "They're fine. Why?"

Eve looked back at her pancakes. "Just wondering."

Sven nodded. When Train and Saya came out of the room a few minutes later, they were both content. Saya rested her head on Train's shoulder, and Train blushed slightly. He put his arm around her for a few seconds, and then got two bottles of milk.

He smiled happily, and said "Catch!" as he threw the bottle to Saya. She caught the bottle, popped the cap, and downed it within a few seconds. Train, feeling oddly giddy by the sight, started laughing, but his laughter quickly turned to coughing. After a few coughs, he laughed so hard that the milk that he drank came out of his nose. Eve ran and got Train a napkin, which he placed to his nose to absorb the free-flowing milk.

After his nose stopped gushing milk, he said jokingly, "So much for drinking it!"

Saya laughed. She walked past Train and purposely pecked him on the cheek. Train froze and turned beet red out of embarrassment.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked while turning crimson.

While washing her milk bottle out, Saya turned to him and winked. Her eyes held a look that said, "It's time that they saw that."

Train's color faded from his cheeks as he realized that she was right. He smiled slightly and gave Saya his milk bottle.

A little while later, Sven asked Train, "Has the wolf said anything more to you yet?"

"No," Train said. Saya had a look of slight disbelief on her face. Train's heart skipped a few beats as he thought, _Does she know just how cute she looks with that look on her face?_

A few nights later, Saya was reading on her bed with Train lying beside her, sleeping peacefully. His hair flopped in front of his handsome face, covering his eyes. Saya noticed this and gently brushed his hair aside. She put her left hand on his cheek and held it there, curious as to what he would do. After he reached up and put his right hand on hers, Saya was thoroughly pleased.

"I want to be by your side, too, Train," she said to the sleeping figure.

In the lobby of Elsida's Lunafort Tower, Creed was trying to figure out a way to make Train see him again. Over the past seven months, Train had been Creed's one constant thought. He, besides Echidna, was Creed's reason to live.

He started laughing a little too happily for Echidna's liking as soon as he figured out the plan. _Uh-oh. What's gotten into his head now? _She felt like she could only sit and watch as Creed told her his plan.

-

Three days later, Train and the sweepers went to a local Elsida restaurant for lunch. Train and Saya ate quickly and watched Sven and Eve eat. Saya then left, saying that she had another bounty to go after. Sven noticed that Train instantly became worried.

"You okay?" Sven asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Train said, turning back to face Sven.

"You're worried about Saya, aren't you?"

"Yes, Sven, I truly am. Sometimes I wonder why I don't jump out of my skin." Sven wasn't sure as to how to comfort Train, but he decided to say, "She'll be fine, Train."

He quickly realized that it was the wrong choice of words, as Train's gaze grew cold as he looked at Sven. He had the sinking feeling that Creed was going to do something, and he could tell that Train felt the same way. Eve stopped eating, also aware of the situation. Regret and self-anger crossed Train's face, and he turned back to the table. He could feel that someone was attempting to hurt his beautiful Saya, the one who had shown him the light when he was surrounded by darkness.

What he didn't know was that he was about to experience a very strong case of déjà vu.

* * *

**A/N: Hi, guys! Like the little cliffy that I left you hanging with? ;) I FINALLY UPDATED!! I'm sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. My muse left me stranded for a little while, but it decided to come back. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! :D**


	27. Another Incident at the Lunafort Tower

Saya woke up, disoriented and confused. _The food! I should have known that it was drugged. _When her mind cleared, she gasped at the man in front of her. _C-Creed?! What's he doing here? Oh, God, I have to warn Train!_

Creed smiled. "Witch, you will witness another beautiful reunion between Train and I."

"What will you do to Train?!"

"Nothing. I do not wish to hurt you, either." He observed Saya's red yukata. Saya felt as if someone had invited Creed to take his time looking at her body. She felt violated and exposed, so, to distract him, she asked, "How long is it until we get there?"

"Only a few minutes longer, my dear."

Saya felt a growl work its way up her throat.

-

Train was almost about to exit the apartment that they were staying at when Sven tapped him on the shoulder. He nearly screamed out of fright as he whipped around to find Sven staring at him with an amused twinkle in his eye.

Train let out a sigh of relief. "Don't do that to me again!"

"You're going to rescue Saya, aren't you?"

Train glanced down at the ground, his feelings taking over. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I am."

"Do you have the bullets that I gave you earlier today?"

Train nodded. "They came in handy last time, Sven. I forgot to thank you. I should probably get going if I don't want anything to happen to Saya."

Sven nodded. "I won't stop you. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Train looked over his shoulder while saying, "I will, I promise!"

Sven took a drag of his cigarette, all the while telling himself that Train would be fine. _If only it was that easy to believe._

-

At the Lunafort Tower, Creed and Saya were waiting for Train. Shiki had joined the two to make sure that everything went as planned. It was taking all of Shiki's power to not rip Creed's head off. _Has he gone insane again? I hope not, but if seeing the Black Cat is what lets him live, then I'll go along with it._ Shiki's urge slowly went away as he pondered about different things. He glanced down at Saya's handcuffs regretfully. _I'm sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances. Once Black Cat gets here, I'm sure that everything will be okay._

He was about to be proven wrong.

Creed smirked. He had lied to Saya about not wanting to hurt her. If he did hurt her, Train would most certainly arrive faster….

Out of nowhere, Creed knocked Shiki out and left the Taoist lying sprawled out on the ground. Saya gasped and asked out of shock, "What did you do that for?!" Fear blazed through her as Creed's sword was pointed at her throat. The heat from Creed's chest nearly burned her back. She felt vulnerable once more, and started screaming Train's name in her head.

Her heart pounded, and she knew that she had to do something. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move. A bead of sweat moved down her face, and the seconds seemed to drag on.

With one swift movement, Saya felt Creed's sharp blade pierce her shoulder and slice downward, creating a gash in her right arm. The gash ended at her wrist. Saya screamed and saw Creed's blade bury itself in her abdomen. She felt blood spurt slightly out of her mouth. The next thing she knew, she hit the ground and felt her warm blood pool around her.

Creed walked towards Saya, waiting for Train to burst through the window at any moment. Saya pulled her Beretta 93R out of her leg strap and aimed it shakily at Creed. Creed then put a hand on Saya's gun and pulled it out of her hands.

Fortunately for Saya, her finger was in the middle of pulling the trigger. Her faithful gun fired, sending a bullet straight into Creed's chest. Saya fought back a smile of triumph. _Gotcha!_ She had gotten slightly cocky the last time that they had fought, and she grimaced internally at the memory. _I thought that he would have been easy to take down. I got slightly cocky, and look where that got me—Heaven. _She was determined to stay alive until Train came.

Train sensed that something was terribly wrong and was glad that he was approximately ten seconds away from kicking the window out. As his feet collided with the glass, he saw Saya. Blood was pooled around her arm and abdomen, and Creed had her gun in his hands, along with Kotetsu. Train landed with a thud, got up, aimed Hades at Creed, and demanded in a voice thick with anger, determination, and his feelings for Saya, "Cut the crap and let her go, Creed!"

Creed sighed. "I'm sorry, Train, but I can't do that."

Train turned to face Creed with his entire body. "You won't kill her again!" His eyes blazed with anger and, much to Creed's dismay, fondness for Saya.

"You're developing a _relationship_ with this wi—?!" His angry shout was interrupted by a swift blow to the head from Hades. Creed went flying and smashed into the wall. Train retrieved Saya's gun and broke the chains that bound her hands with Hades. He picked her up, blushing slightly at the warmth that, to his relief, she still had, and carried her to an indent in the wall. Saya was also blushing slightly, and she marveled at how gentle Train was when he put her down.

He saw her gash and muttered, "That's a nasty wound." Saya looked at it and suddenly felt faint. "I'll call Sven. We need to get you to a hospital. There's no way—"

Train stopped talking after Saya put her left hand to his right cheek. "I'll be okay, Train," she said in a quiet, calm voice. "I'll still be here when you finish fighting."

_You don't understand. I have to get you out of here. You mean more to me than you could ever imagine, and I won't risk losing you again. _Train paused slightly, wanting to choose his words wisely. "Saya, I… I wouldn't be able to fight knowing that you're hurt."

Creed had made his way over to the wall and said, "Oh, how touching."

"You bastard!" Train shouted, getting up and running towards Creed. He proceeded to knock Kotetsu out of Creed's hands, pick him up, run towards the window, and unceremoniously defenestrate him. Creed hung on to the ledge, climbed up, and gave Train a bloody nose with one well-aimed punch. Train recoiled and drew Hades after wiping the blood off of his mouth.

Just as Creed was about to grab Kotetsu, Train kicked Creed straight in the stomach. Creed fell and knocked Train down with one swing of his legs. Train's head collided with the hard floor, and he felt something crack in his arm. He also felt one or two of his ribs creak. He saw Saya looking at him out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to face her.

Train's heart warmed and butterflies zipped every which way in his gut, but his mind was focused on the battle at hand. He was suddenly strong again, and he slowly rose to his feet. Creed had done the same, and he was now holding Kotetsu.

_Damn,_ Train thought. _I'm screwed. Saya's also screwed if I don't get us out of here._

Shiki had regained consciousness by now, and he sent one of his bees to sting Creed. Sure enough, the bee landed on Creed's right hand. The bee stung Creed, to which Creed yelped and swatted at the bee. The bee vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

Shiki sent another bee to sting Creed's neck. That bee also stung Creed, which pissed Creed off. "Now!" Shiki shouted to Train. "Get yourselves out of here! Go, while you still can!"

Train put Hades back in his holster and ran like hell to where Saya was lying. He gently picked her up bridal style while giving her a few seconds to wrap her arms around his shoulders securely. Once he was certain that she wasn't going anywhere, he started running as fast as his legs could carry him. He shot through the tower, jumping down the flights of stairs and kicking down doors. Nothing was going to stop him or get in his way where Saya was concerned.

After what seemed like forever, Train finally kicked down the front door. Sure enough, there were police cars surrounding the tower. Train spotted Sven's car and started walking towards it. When he reached it, Eve got out of the passenger's seat and opened the rear door for Train.

"Thanks, Eve," Train said, exhausted and out of breath. He suddenly felt Saya go limp in his arms. Eve saw Train's yellow eyes widen with concern and shock. "Sven," he breathed as he slipped into the back seat, "we need to go to a hospital. Saya just passed out."

"Calm down, Train," Sven said. "I was going to take you there, anyway."

That was when Train noticed Rinslet sitting beside him. "Rins, what are you doing here?!"

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," she said with a wink and a raised pointer finger.

Train stared for a second and then smiled slightly. He still held on to Saya as Sven drove to the hospital.

"Are you going to let her go? Jeez. It's like she's your lifeline or something," Rins said. In a quieter voice, she added, "You really do truly care about her, don't you?"

"Did you just notice that? I seriously hope you didn't."

"Of course I noticed it. I noticed it way before you did, Train." Train told Rinslet, Sven, and Eve about the incident during the drive there. When they arrived at the hospital, Train had just enough time to carry Saya in and gently place her on the bed before he lay beside her and also fainted.

"Aww," Rinslet said softly so that only Sven and Eve could hear her.

"They are definitely falling in love," Eve said as she watched Saya and Train lie next to each other.

"Yup," Sven said. "I think that they've finally realized it, too. I'm happy for them. I think that it's about time that Train found himself a girl, too. Maybe Saya'll get him to settle down. It would be good for him."

"She's also another reason for him to live," Rins added.

Eve nodded. "I agree. When you care about someone, you also fight for them. She'll be another reason for him to fight, too."

_She'll be my reason for everything. I'll never let you go again, Saya. I promise you that._

Saya unconsciously placed her hands on Train's chest and moved closer to him, putting her head underneath his chin. Train put his arms around her and sighed contentedly. They dreamed about each other, and suddenly, for one blissful moment, everything seemed right in the world.

-

Rinslet saw Saya open her eyes slightly.

Train noticed this and propped Saya's head up on his shoulder. "Hey," he said softly. "Are you okay?" Saya nodded and noticed Rinslet.

"Rins…" She started, but her voice cut out on her.

Rins smiled. "Hey, Saya," she said. "I heard about the whole thing from Train." Saya looked at where Train should have been. He suddenly wasn't holding her anymore, and she missed his warmth.

"Where'd Train go?"

Rins looked around. "I don't know…."

Train suddenly twirled into the room while announcing, "I'm here!" Saya sweatdropped, got up, and said to Sven, "Give me that."

Sven obliged, giving Saya his newspaper. Saya rolled it up and proceeded to whack Train on the head with it, knocking him onto his butt.

"Saya," he complained while rubbing the lump on the back of his head. "What was that for?!"

"That was for acting like a jerk and leaving me without telling me where you were!"

Train stopped rubbing the lump and stared into Saya's eyes. _She's actually quite cute when she's angry,_ he thought. He stood up and walked over to Saya. Saya wasn't sure what to do, so she stood there. After Train blushed slightly and cupped her face in his hands, she felt her knees go weak and give out. She dropped the newspaper out of surprise and slight fear.

Train gasped slightly, caught her, and drew her into his arms. Saya placed her hands on his chest, filled with warmth and affection. She blushed a subtle pink, savoring the moment. Train pulled her a bit closer, assuring her that he wouldn't let go until she had regained her balance.

Saya pulled away gently, and Train released her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Saya nodded. "Yeah," she said. "My knees decided to spazz and turn to jelly on me."

Train smiled and laughed. "Do you want to sit?" Saya looked at him and nodded graciously.

"I would, thank you," she said after smiling. Train pulled out a chair and Saya sat in it, blushing slightly. Train pushed the chair in and sat next to her on the table.

"Off," Sven scowled at Train, wanting the spiky-haired man to get off of the table. "Saya, can I have my newspaper back?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure!" She pushed the chair out and picked up the newspaper from where she had dropped it when her knees had given out on her. She handed it back to Sven, who thanked her and started reading it again.

After Rinslet brought back muffins from the local Elsida bakery, she left to find another job. Sven and Eve decided that they would let Train and Saya have a day off to let their wounds heal.

"By the way, Train," Sven said as he and Eve were leaving to catch a class D criminal, "You have two slight cracks in two of your ribs, and the lower part of your humerus is also slightly cracked. In your case, Saya, your wounds weren't that serious. No major arteries or nerves were cut, and he missed your vital organs, so you're good. Make sure that nothing happens while I'm gone, okay?"

Train nodded. "Okay, Sven. Take care."

"You, too." Sven shut the door behind him.

"Now," Saya turned to Train with a mischievous look in her eyes, "What should we do on our day off?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Merry (belated) Christmas and a happy New Year, [insert whatever you may celebrate here]! I would appreciate it if you guys left a review. I'd love your feedback, comments, etc., and reviews also keep me writing (and make me happy! :D). Hopefully I'll update soon!**

**I originally wanted to make the incident more like the manga, but I decided against it when I was writing the part where Train looked at Saya. It's funny, how things can change on a moment's notice. :) I also had a daydream about the whole part where Saya whacks Train with the newspaper and he hugs her. I decided to include that in here because I thought that it was cute. :D I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it.**

**Anyways, enough of my rambling. See you next chapter! :D**


	28. The Festival

**Author's Note: I sincerely apologize to all of my faithful and wonderful readers out there on this site. I was actually losing inspiration for Reunion for a while back there, and that's why it took me so long to finish this chapter.**

**I want to thank ILoveAnimeVeryMuch123 for giving me that little push and inspiration to finish this chapter. Reading her reviews really made me happy, and I am also pleased to know that there are still people out there who read and love my story very much. I still want reviews, so please keep them coming! :D**

**Again, I sincerely apologize for not updating much, much sooner. It has almost been a year since I last updated Reunion, and I am ashamed to admit that. With that being said, I will continue Reunion and make awesome chapters for you guys to read. I am determined to finish this story now.**

**Thank you for sticking with me, guys. Now, without further ado, I present chapter 28 of Reunion, The Festival! Enjoy!**

* * *

As it turned out, Saya ended up dragging Train to a festival. When they got there, Train's ribs and arm ached slightly. They mostly walked around, drinking milk and playing games for little kids who wanted gifts. They held hands and flirted, absorbed in their own little world. They both caught some people staring at them.

An elderly couple walked up to Train and Saya. The woman asked, "How long have you two been together?"

"Been—?" Train asked. Getting her hint, he blushed and stuttered, "Uh, it's not like that. We're friends, that's all."

The old man nodded. "You two are definitely cute together."

Saya blushed and smiled. Upon seeing her beautiful smile, Train's own smile grew larger. "Thank you," Saya said. Train found himself beaming with pride and affection at Saya. Saya noticed this and felt her heart squeeze with attraction for the handsome male.

"There's going to be a fireworks festival tonight at nine," the elderly woman said, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

Saya's eyes lit up with happiness, and her face glowed. "Oh, really? Wow!" She turned to Train expectantly. "Will you take me there, Train?"

"Sure, Saya," Train said. He couldn't resist that cute smile and those shiny blue eyes of hers. "I'd love to go. Do you know where it is?"

"They're shooting them off on the dock this evening at 9."

Train perked up and his eyes glowed. "Oh! Thank you! We'll see you around!" They waved goodbye and walked off.

To Train and Saya's surprise, the day flew by, and Saya saw a firework go off in the sky. Numerous couples started dancing, and Saya pulled Train close to her and started dancing with him.

She giggled as Train tripped slightly a few times. She steadied him and kept going, enjoying the feeling of him being close to her. He was also enjoying the moment, and soon enough, there was only them, surrounded by fireworks. Saya then suggested that they go up to the wharf with ramune to get a better view of the fireworks.

Train agreed and bought the ramune for Saya. She then raced him to the wharf, which she won. They jumped onto the roof and drank their ramune.

"Ahh!" Saya said as she finished taking a sip of her ramune. "Kicking back with a great view with ramune and a close friend is the best way to watch the fireworks!" She put her left hand over Train's right hand while speaking, and when she realized this, gasped out loud. Train muttered a quick "Huh?" and glanced over. The two of them ended up awkwardly staring at their hands, feeling embarrassed and blushing deeply all the while.

Train decided to leave his hand where it was. The fireworks show came to an end all too soon for Saya's liking, and Train found that he was getting tired.

They held hands and talked on their way back to the apartment building, but when they made their way back to the complex and opened the door, they both got an uneasy feeling in their guts. Train motioned to Saya to stay close by him in case something should happen, and she willingly obliged. It was right outside their door when Train realized that someone was in their apartment.

He then shot Saya a quick look that explained everything, and she grabbed on to his arm in a quick burst of fear. Train drew Hades and slowly entered the room. After whipping his gun around in numerous directions, he decided that it was safe enough for Saya to enter. He gave her a quick nod as the signal, and she slid into the room with her Beretta 93R in her hands. Train glanced at the slightly ajar door in the back of the room. _The bathroom!_

He made his way over to the wall before the bathroom door and flattened his back against it. Seeing what he was doing, Saya also followed him and flattened her back against the wall. Train peeked in and held up a finger, wanting Saya to stay there until further notice. She nodded silently. _Trust Saya to understand what you mean without saying a word,_ he thought gratefully as he entered the bathroom. He saw that the shower curtain was drawn closed and immediately pulled it back. To his complete surprise, no one was there.

He suddenly heard Saya scream and call, "Train!" Train ran out of the bathroom and saw a man all dressed in black standing there, pressing a knife to Saya's throat. _How could I have been so stupid? _Train ran behind the man and pressed Hades's barrel to the back of the man's head.

"Let her go. Do it, now!" He growled in a voice that dripped with venom.

"Heh heh. I'm afraid that I can't do that right now." A voice with a slight Italian accent made its way out of the black cloth mask that covered the man's face except for his eyes and nose.

Train's gaze hardened. "Why is that?"

"This little lady arrested our boss earlier this month on apparent charges of killing a few women. Ever since then, our gang's had a little bit of a falling out, and my brother, Beniccio, is killing himself trying to get us back together. I'm helping, of course, but it's not going all that well. I figured that I'd make a pit stop and see if I could bring this lady back to our place, but since you were with her, it'll make things interesting."

"Who are you?"

"Vittorio. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"You're the Black Cat, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Ah ha. I figured you were. I remember seeing your bounty on a board once."

"I remember seeing yours, too."

"I know about mine already. I reckon that you know about yours, too, due to your apparent lack of surprise."

Train smiled. "You've got me figured out."

Vittorio uttered a "Heh" and pressed the knife closer against Saya's skin. Train saw her eyes widen and he shot her a reassuring look.

"I suppose that things are going to get interesting now."

"We'll see about that."

"Oh, yes, we will." Train promptly knocked him out, and it took him a few seconds to register what he did. _That was strange. It was almost instinct to knock him out._

"Are you alright, Saya?" he asked as he gently set Vittorio down and put handcuffs on him.

"Yeah," Saya said.

"Hey, what's going on here?" The hotel manager, a quite pudgy man with a Hawaiian flower-printed flannel shirt, khakis, and sandals on, asked as he opened the door. "Whoa!" was all he said for a few stunned seconds as he took in the scenery. "What in the blazes happened here? Are you two okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?"

"No, we're fine," Train said as he finished tightening the cuffs on Vittorio's wrists and stood up. Saya walked over to Train and put her arms around him.

"Oh, okay. Hey, are you guys sweepers?"

"Yes, we are," Saya said after turning around to face the hotel manager.

"Oh, cool. Well, good luck!"

"Thanks!" Train said while the manager left their apartment.

"Welcome!" the manager called from down the hall.

Train looked at Saya and said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's bring this guy in!"

A half-hour card ride, one guy in prison, and $20,000 later, Train and Saya finally drove back to their apartment to get some well-deserved rest. They quickly changed, and Train mustered the courage to give Saya a goodnight kiss on the cheek, which she blushed deeply at. She then returned the gesture to Train, who also blushed deeply and glomped Saya, marveling at her sudden burst of warmth.

They held each other for a few minutes, not knowing that as they did so, Rinslet, Eve, and Sven were spying on them.

"I can't wait to see what they say when they figure out that they're being watched," Sven whispered from behind the slight crack in the door.

"Shut up, Sven! They'll hear you!" Rinslet whispered harshly. She didn't want the older sweeper wrecking the cute moment that their friends were having.

"Saya is Train's white cat," Eve said quietly. "Train is Saya's black cat. It makes sense that way. They are definitely in love with each other."

"I wouldn't say that quite yet, Eve," Sven said. "I think that they still have a while to go before they reach that point."

"Point taken, Sven," Rinslet said. Train and Saya pulled back from their embrace and looked at the door.

"Come in, guys," Train said after smiling a knowing smile.

"We didn't want to spoil the moment," Rinslet said as she opened the door further and walked in. Sven and Eve followed suit.

Rinslet, Sven, and Eve changed and bid Train and Saya goodnight. Train and Saya curled in to one another, and within moments Saya was fast asleep.

Train could sense that the wolf was behind him, so he grabbed Hades, cocked it, and whipped around to shoot it. When he was facing in the direction that the wolf should have been in, he wasn't there.

_Dammit! I almost had him! Just a few seconds more and I would've gotten a kill shot in there! _Frustrated and exhausted, Train put Hades underneath his pillow and lay down again. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his currently racing mind.

The wolf appeared again, and he held a strange glint in his eyes. He bent down to sniff Train, and he momentarily wondered as to why he chose to infect Train. The reason came back to him as clear as day in a matter of seconds.

He was going to show the seemingly invincible Black Cat what death felt like, and he was going to do it soon. He could feel it in his bones. A smile made its way over the wolf's mouth as it dissipated in the moonlight.

Train didn't know it yet, but death was going to come to his doorstep once more.


	29. Train vs Lugart Won: The Rematch

Train sat up in bed, breathing hard from his nightmare. He had seen the wolf again, and he was truly scared. _I haven't been this frightened since I saw my dead parents_, he thought. _Then again, I was scared for Saya when she died…_ His thoughts trailed off and went to Lugart Won.

_He said that he was going to come back and challenge me when he was ready again. Hmm…_

With this, Train glanced at the clock and saw that, to his horror, it was 3:25 in the morning. _Ugh! I need to stop taking naps during the day—it screws up my sleeping schedule at night! _Train sighed quietly and turned over. He fell asleep within minutes.

Later that morning, Train got up and decided to take a stroll around town. He pigged out on eggs, French toast, and bread that was in the fridge, showered, got dressed, left Sven a note so that way the green-haired sweeper wouldn't freak out, and then headed out the door.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking around Elsida, Train started to wonder whether Lugart was really there or not. He then rounded the corner of the sidewalk that he was currently walking on. Sure enough, he spotted Lugart Won leaning against a brick wall, seemingly waiting for someone to come and get him in broad daylight.

_Now, why would someone like you, who's constantly sought after for your bounty, do such a thing like that? _Train smirked. He remembered from last time that Lugart wasn't easy to fight, but he wanted to get his bounty. He casually walked into the throng of people who were standing around, talking to each other and going about their daily business. He then strode up to Lugart and said, "Hey, remember me?"

Lugart took one look at Train's tattoo and realized that the sweeper was issuing a challenge. "Yes," he said. "Let's start from where we left off, shall we?"

Train smiled. This was going to be fun…_and interesting_, he thought. "Certainly," he said. Lugart led the sweeper into a back alley where he knew that they wouldn't be disturbed.

Train decided to take the first move. He lunged at Lugart while saying, "I hope you're ready for me!"

Lugart grinned in response, something that Train personally thought was creepy. "I sure am! I've been training just for this rematch, Black Cat!"

Train felt a smirk form once again. _Let's see how well you've trained for this!_ He thought as he sprang onto one arm and kicked Lugart in the face with his outstretched feet. Lugart was prepared, however, because he grabbed onto Train's feet as he fell backwards and pulled Train down with him. Train wasn't worried, though.

_It hurt more for him than it did for me,_ he thought while getting up. Train was determined to get Lugart's bounty more than ever. _It could erase our debts!_ He thought with excitement from the realization that he had just had. He felt his determination skyrocket. Nothing was going to stop him now!

He then proceeded to get up and kick the crap out of Lugart. Lugart, however, wasn't so keen on being beaten this fast. Lugart took Train's foot and pulled on it with all his might, causing Train to fall on his back and be slightly winded. Train struggled to breathe as Lugart got up and kicked Train in the abdomen repeatedly. Train then mustered the strength to swing his feet around and trip Lugart so that the assassin was on the ground once again.

_This is ridiculous! We keep knocking each other onto the ground! _Train thought. _This is getting old fast. _He then got up and slammed Lugart into the ground. Blood spurted out of Lugart's mouth. Lugart then swung his feet up and tried to kick Train in the face, but Train dodged it just in time. Train launched himself at Lugart and punched the assassin in the face and sent him flying across the alley. Time seemed to fly as Train and Lugart's battle continued.

Lugart was breathing hard by the time he finished kicking Train for what felt like the hundredth time. Train was also breathing hard and kind of bloody. Train decided that it was time to end this once and for all and be the one who captured Lugart Won and secured his bounty.

Train decided to launch himself at Lugart with everything he had and punched him square in the nose. Blood flew out and Train felt Lugart's nose break from the force of his punch. Lugart landed limply on the ground and Train stood for a moment, not sure whether he had knocked Lugart out or not. He gathered his breath and felt Lugart's pulse. Sure enough, the assassin was unconscious.

_Well, this is it,_ Train thought as he picked Lugart up and carried him to the police station. _This is where our debts get erased._

After handing the unconscious Lugart in to the police, Train walked back to the apartment after washing his face in the bathroom to avoid getting any more suspicious looks from people on the street. He entered the apartment and declared, "I'm back!"

"So you are," Sven said while looking up from his newspaper. "Thanks for the note."

Train grinned. "No problem. It's a good thing you're sitting down, Sven."

"Why?" Sven asked.

"'Cause," Train said while pulling out Lugart's bounty money, "I got this."

Sven's eyeballs nearly fell out of his head as he screamed, "HOLY CRAP!" from sheer shock. Train's grin grew wider as he saw Sven process the fact that he had arrested Lugart Won, a class-A criminal. Sven then grinned too, knowing that their debts were erased, and then some. Sven immediately stored the money in the bank to keep Train from using it to pig out on food, and told Eve and Saya about it. When Eve heard the news, she said, "Ah. It was about time that we stopped eating ramen noodles." Saya hugged Train, and the male sweeper blushed. He hugged Saya back.

The group celebrated by going out to get seafood. Train ordered his favorite, and Saya wasn't too particular about seafood, so she got a cheeseburger.

"Really, Saya?" Sven asked, incredulous. "You're at a seafood restaurant, and you're getting a _cheeseburger_?"

"Yup!" Saya grinned from ear to ear. Train started laughing at this, and Sven did, too. Eve smiled and Saya couldn't help but join in laughing.

Train stopped laughing and stared at Saya's laughing face, imprinting it into his memory. He realized that Saya had stopped laughing and was staring at him, too. Train realized this and blushed deeply, quickly taking s swig of his milk. The rest of the evening was spent celebrating the capture of Lugart Won and the erasure of the debts that Train and Sven had incurred.

Meanwhile, the wolf form of _Medulla aestris_ sighed. "Why can't he just fall in love with her already?" he complained. "Jeez. Men are so SLOW when it comes to romance!" He disappeared into thin air after that.

Train felt tired and remembered the symptoms of _Medulla aestris. Oh, no,_ he thought. _I hope that it's not coming…_

Train was about to be proven dead wrong.


End file.
